Historic Bridges in California

4,414 bridges built before 1951 in California still in service today.

Bridges Built Before 1951

The United States has 4,414 bridges in California built before 1951 that remain in active service. These structures are 75+ years old — many predate modern engineering codes and were not designed for today's traffic volumes and vehicle weights. The average design life of a bridge is 50 years, making these aging structures a significant infrastructure concern.

Clear
Bridge State Condition Year Built Age (Years) ADT
JACKSON CREEK California Good 1948 78 19,800
SOUTH FORK JACKSON CREEK California Good 1948 78 10,800
MIDDLE FORK JACKSON CRK California Good 1948 78 10,800
BOWMAN CANYON California Poor 1948 78 3,056
PACHECO SLOUGH California Poor 1948 78 2,409
STANISLAUS RIVER California Good 1948 78 53,500
LITTLEJOHNS CREEK California Fair 1948 78 3,681
DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL California Fair 1948 78 617
STOCKTON DIVERTING CANAL California Poor 1948 78 6,863
ELMHURST CREEK California Fair 1948 78 199,000
DAMON SLOUGH California Good 1948 78 199,000
DAMON SLOUGH California Fair 1948 78 3,300
EAST CREEK SLOUGH California Fair 1948 78 221,000
ALAMEDA CREEK California Fair 1948 78 2,700
SAN LEANDRO CREEK California Fair 1948 78 10,600
EAST CREEK SLOUGH California Fair 1948 78 3,347
DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL California Poor 1948 78 5,100
SINBAD CREEK California Fair 1948 78 1,000
CALTRAIN UP RR GRAND ONR California Poor 1948 78 98,000
CALTRAIN UP RR GRAND ONR California Poor 1948 78 98,000
UP RR SPUR California Good 1948 78 188,000
SOUTH FORK SAN PEDRO CRK California Fair 1948 78 6,886
SAN BRUNO CHANNEL California Fair 1948 78 8,252
PETERS CREEK California Fair 1948 78 30
APTOS CRK & SPRECKELS DR California Good 1948 78 78,000
STATE ROUTE 1 California Good 1948 78 17,316
STATE ROUTE 1 California Good 1948 78 28,896
NEWELL CREEK California Fair 1948 78 5,000
SAN LORENZO RIVER California Poor 1948 78 400
ZAYANTE CREEK California Poor 1948 78 2,000
DEXTER CREEK California Good 1948 78 19,600
MARCELLA DITCH California Good 1948 78 7,800
COYOTE CREEK California Good 1948 78 1,610
GUADALUPE RIVER California Fair 1948 78 20,400
LLAGAS CREEK California Good 1948 78 7,230
RANDOL CREEK California Fair 1948 78 25,850
SAN FRANCISQUITO CREEK California Fair 1948 78 5,500
WILDCAT CREEK California Good 1948 78 12,000
WESTLEY WASTEWAY California Good 1948 78 3,550
DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL California Fair 1948 78 2,201
WESTLEY WASTEWAY California Fair 1948 78 946
DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL California Fair 1948 78 495
M.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1948 78 3,294
M.I.D. MAIN CANAL California Fair 1948 78 1,000
DELTA-MENDOTA CANAL California Fair 1948 78 99
HIGH LINE CANAL California Fair 1948 78 200
HIGH LINE CANAL California Fair 1948 78 50
LATERAL #6 California Fair 1948 78 2,249
HIGH LINE CANAL California Fair 1948 78 204
ESCALADIAN CANAL California Fair 1948 78 480

About Historic Bridge Data

Bridges built before 1951 are classified as historic in this database. Many were designed to 1940s standards with lower load limits and narrower lanes. While FHWA requires regular inspections of all bridges regardless of age, older structures often require more frequent monitoring and rehabilitation investment.