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
CCID MAIN CANAL California Fair 1948 78 4,087
OLIVER CREEK California Fair 1948 78 3,725
DELONG CREEK California Fair 1948 78 3,725
BEAR CREEK California Fair 1948 78 350
BEAR CREEK California Poor 1948 78 130
MIAMI CREEK California Good 1948 78 8,900
SAN JOAQUIN RIV OVRFLOW California Fair 1948 78 4,311
MADERA CANAL California Fair 1948 78 25
MADERA CANAL California Fair 1948 78 285
COTTONWOOD CREEK California Fair 1948 78 189
DRY CREEK California Fair 1948 78 450
DRY CREEK California Poor 1948 78 68
GOLDEN STATE BLVD California Fair 1948 78 2,137
FRIANT-KERN CANAL California Fair 1948 78 6,000
MILL DITCH California Fair 1948 78 3,200
SELMA BRANCH C & K CANAL California Fair 1948 78 1,500
MILL DITCH California Fair 1948 78 19,549
MILL DITCH California Good 1948 78 13,021
LIBERTY MILLRACE CANAL California Good 1948 78 400
FANCHER CREEK CANAL California Fair 1948 78 1,180
FRESNO CANAL California Fair 1948 78 350
MURPHY SLOUGH California Fair 1948 78 200
GRANT CANAL California Fair 1948 78 120
TRAVERS CREEK California Fair 1948 78 1,500
FOWLER SWITCH CANAL California Fair 1948 78 500
LOS GATOS CREEK California Fair 1948 78 200
LOS GATOS CREEK California Fair 1948 78 200
LOS GATOS CREEK California Fair 1948 78 100
LOS GATOS CREEK California Good 1948 78 300
HUGHES CREEK California Good 1948 78 1,000
TEQUISQUITA CREEK California Poor 1948 78 6,500
PREWITT CREEK California Good 1948 78 2,000
LEWIS CREEK California Poor 1948 78 200
LEWIS CREEK California Poor 1948 78 200
UP RR & AMTRAK California Poor 1948 78 28,392
EMPIRE # 2 CANAL California Good 1948 78 6,560
KINGS RIVER California Fair 1948 78 3,430
FRIANT-KERN CANAL California Fair 1948 78 2,000
FRIANT-KERN CANAL California Fair 1948 78 1,500
OUTSIDE CREEK California Good 1948 78 930
MIDDLE FORK TULE RIVER California Good 1948 78 950
TULARE IRRIG DIST CANAL California Fair 1948 78 2,450
TULE RIVER California Fair 1948 78 5,700
FRIANT-KERN CANAL California Fair 1948 78 700
TULE RIVER California Fair 1948 78 470
COTTONWOOD CREEK California Good 1948 78 900
TULE RIVER California Fair 1948 78 200
WHITE RIVER California Fair 1948 78 325
PORTER SLOUGH California Poor 1948 78 1,100
DEER CREEK California Fair 1948 78 350

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.