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
DOMINGUEZ CHANNEL California Fair 1948 78 26,500
SANTA CLARA RIV / SPTC California Fair 1948 78 2,550
LOS ANGELES RIV California Fair 1948 78 42,930
SANTA ANITA WASH California Fair 1948 78 6,331
SPRING CYN WASH California Good 1948 78 4,811
COMPTON CRK California Poor 1948 78 23,426
EAGLE CYN CHAN California Good 1948 78 842
SAWTELLE-WESTWOOD CH California Good 1948 78 12,800
PACOIMA WASH California Fair 1948 78 67,300
EAST FORK CITY CREEK California Good 1948 78 12,000
SANTA ANA RIVER California Poor 1948 78 31,153
CITY CRK FLOOD CONTROL California Good 1948 78 11,500
TEVIOT DITCH California Fair 1948 78 502
WARM CREEK California Good 1948 78 15,400
CHINO CREEK California Good 1948 78 17,000
BLAISDELL CANYON California Fair 1948 78 9,500
WINDY POINT CANYON California Good 1948 78 16,000
FLATBUSH WASH California Fair 1948 78 2,700
RANGE CREEK California Good 1948 78 24,378
TEMESCAL CREEK CHANNEL California Good 1948 78 20,000
LINCOLN DRAIN DITCH California Good 1948 78 7,576
"C" CANAL California Good 1948 78 3,000
BUENA VISTA CREEK California Fair 1948 78 1,550
AGUA CALIENTE CREEK California Fair 1948 78 1,700
SAN FELIPE CREEK California Fair 1948 78 1,850
YUIMA CREEK California Good 1948 78 7,300
LOMA ALTA CREEK California Good 1948 78 42,600
LAWSON CREEK California Fair 1948 78 852
ESCONDIDO CREEK California Good 1948 78 39,100
ESCONDIDO CREEK California Good 1948 78 15,200
REIDY CREEK California Good 1948 78 8,000
LINDA VISTA WASH California Fair 1948 78 19,332
CENTRAL MAIN CANAL California Good 1948 78 7,700
TRIFOLIUM CANAL California Good 1948 78 7,350
NEW RIVER California Poor 1948 78 1,500
Delta-Mendota Canal California Good 1948 78 200
Friant-Kern Canal California Fair 1948 78 50
Friant-Kern Canal California Good 1948 78 50
BLUE CANYON CREEK California Fair 1948 78 50
DEER CREEK California Poor 1948 78 50
UPPER CHINQUAPIN California Fair 1948 78 50
MUGU LAGOON California Poor 1949 77 200
MUGU LAGOON California Fair 1949 77 200
HUNTER CREEK California Fair 1949 77 1,110
MILL CREEK California Fair 1949 77 100
CAMP CREEK California Fair 1949 77 1,085
KLAMATH RIVER California Fair 1949 77 710
LAWRENCE CREEK California Fair 1949 77 28
FRESHWATER CREEK California Fair 1949 77 172
SOUTH DOBBYN CREEK California Poor 1949 77 85

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.