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
WHITE RIVER California Fair 1948 78 550
ALTA CANAL California Fair 1948 78 1,050
CAMERON CREEK California Good 1948 78 1,500
KRAMER CREEK California Good 1948 78 280
LOS ANGELES AQUEDUCT California Good 1948 78 3,200
FIVE MILE CANYON California Good 1948 78 6,400
SAN LUIS OBISPO CREEK California Good 1948 78 31,000
PERFUMA CREEK California Good 1948 78 56,000
SAN BERNARDO CREEK California Good 1948 78 18,700
CHOLAME CREEK California Fair 1948 78 130
YERBA BUENA CREEK California Good 1948 78 100
ROCKY CREEK California Good 1948 78 1,204
SAN LUIS OBISPO CREEK California Fair 1948 78 12,273
SAN LUISITO CREEK California Good 1948 78 101
MAIN DRAIN CANAL California Fair 1948 78 9,000
ISABELLA DRAIN California Good 1948 78 4,200
CANE BRAKE CREEK California Fair 1948 78 4,800
LAKEVIEW WASH California Fair 1948 78 11,800
UP RR & GOLDEN STATE HWY California Poor 1948 78 4,000
GRANITE CANYON CREEK California Poor 1948 78 930
TEHACHAPI STORM DRAIN California Good 1948 78 3,706
KERN ISLAND CANAL California Good 1948 78 5,594
BODFISH CREEK California Fair 1948 78 7,300
BOREL CANAL California Fair 1948 78 5,400
KERN ISLAND CANAL California Fair 1948 78 4,794
FRIANT-KERN CANAL California Good 1948 78 200
UP RR & AMTRAK California Fair 1948 78 2,200
JALAMA CREEK California Fair 1948 78 417
ALAMO PINTADO CREEK California Fair 1948 78 1,686
TEPUSQUET CREEK California Good 1948 78 181
ZACA CREEK California Fair 1948 78 3,000
LANKERSHIM BLVD California Good 1948 78 253,014
STATE ROUTE 103 California Fair 1948 78 31,900
TEMPLE STREET California Good 1948 78 270,000
TEMPLE STREET California Good 1948 78 57,000
TEMPLE STREET California Fair 1948 78 76,801
STATE ROUTE 110 & RAMPS California Good 1948 78 22,000
UP RR California Good 1948 78 26,000
CLASSIFICATION RD California Fair 1948 78 26,500
STATE ROUTE 110 California Good 1948 78 8,000
ROUTE 101 California Fair 1948 78 50,000
SOTO STREET California Fair 1948 78 139,000
ST RTE 60 W/B California Fair 1948 78 258,000
MARIETTA STREET California Fair 1948 78 258,000
EUCLID AVE California Fair 1948 78 258,000
ROUTE 5 California Fair 1948 78 5,500
INDIANA STREET California Fair 1948 78 256,000
SILVER LAKE BLVD California Good 1948 78 265,000
ROUTE 101 California Fair 1948 78 265,000
ROUTE 101 California Good 1948 78 17,000

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.