Bridgeport Covered Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is located in Bridgeport, Nevada County, California
, southwest of French Corral and north of Lake Wildwood
. It is used as a pedestrian crossing over the South Yuba River
. The bridge was designed by David Ingefield Wood, and built in 1862. Its lumber came from Plum Valley in Sierra County, California
. The bridge was closed to traffic in 2010 and pedestrians in 2011 due to deferred maintenance
and "structural problems".
The Bridgeport Covered Bridge has the longest clear span of any surviving covered bridge
in the world.
in 1971, and it is also a California Registered Historical Landmark No. 390. There are three plaques at the site.
The inscription on the marker placed in 1964 reads:
states that the Bridgeport Covered Bridge ( No. CA-41) has clear spans of 210 feet (64 m) on one side and 208 feet (63.4 m) on the other, while Old Blenheim Bridge
( No. NY-331) had a documented clear span of 210 feet (64 m) in the middle (1936 drawings).
With the 2011 destruction of the Old Blenheim Bridge
, the Bridgeport Covered Bridge is the undisputed longest-span wooden covered bridge still surviving. Historically, the longest single-span covered bridge on record was Pennsylvania's McCall's Ferry Bridge with a claimed clear span of 360 feet (109.7 m) (built 1814–15, destroyed by ice jam 1817).
Bridgeport, Nevada County, California
Bridgeport is a former settlement in Nevada County, California, from the town of French Corral. Its elevation is above sea level...
, southwest of French Corral and north of Lake Wildwood
Lake Wildwood, California
Lake Wildwood is a census-designated place in Nevada County, California, United States. The population was 4,991 at the 2010 census, up from 4,868 at the 2000 census....
. It is used as a pedestrian crossing over the South Yuba River
Yuba River
The Yuba River is a tributary of the Feather River in the Sacramento Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is one of the Feather's most important branches, providing about a third of its flow. The main stem of the river is about long, and its headwaters are split into North, Middle and South...
. The bridge was designed by David Ingefield Wood, and built in 1862. Its lumber came from Plum Valley in Sierra County, California
Sierra County, California
Sierra County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California, northeast of Sacramento on the border with Nevada. As of the 2010 census the population was 3,240, down from 3,555 at the 2000 census. The county seat is Downieville....
. The bridge was closed to traffic in 2010 and pedestrians in 2011 due to deferred maintenance
Deferred maintenance
Deferred maintenance is the practice of postponing maintenance activities such as repairs on both real property and personal property in order to save costs, meet budget funding levels, or realign available budget monies. The failure to perform needed repairs could lead to asset deterioration...
and "structural problems".
The Bridgeport Covered Bridge has the longest clear span of any surviving covered bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
in the world.
Historic landmark
The bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1971, and it is also a California Registered Historical Landmark No. 390. There are three plaques at the site.
The inscription on the marker placed in 1964 reads:
"Built in 1862 by David Isaac John Wood with lumber from his mill in Sierra County, this bridge was part of the Virginia Turnpike Company toll road which served the northern mines and the busy Nevada Comstock Lode. Utilizing a combination truss and arch construction, it is one of the oldest housed spans in the west and the longest single-span wood-covered bridge in the United States."
Longest span
A report by the U.S. Department of the InteriorUnited States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
states that the Bridgeport Covered Bridge ( No. CA-41) has clear spans of 210 feet (64 m) on one side and 208 feet (63.4 m) on the other, while Old Blenheim Bridge
Old Blenheim Bridge
Old Blenheim Bridge was a wooden covered bridge that spanned Schoharie Creek in North Blenheim, New York. With an open span of , it had the longest span of any surviving covered bridge in the world; although the structure's total length, made it second in that respect to the Bridgeport Covered Bridge...
( No. NY-331) had a documented clear span of 210 feet (64 m) in the middle (1936 drawings).
With the 2011 destruction of the Old Blenheim Bridge
Old Blenheim Bridge
Old Blenheim Bridge was a wooden covered bridge that spanned Schoharie Creek in North Blenheim, New York. With an open span of , it had the longest span of any surviving covered bridge in the world; although the structure's total length, made it second in that respect to the Bridgeport Covered Bridge...
, the Bridgeport Covered Bridge is the undisputed longest-span wooden covered bridge still surviving. Historically, the longest single-span covered bridge on record was Pennsylvania's McCall's Ferry Bridge with a claimed clear span of 360 feet (109.7 m) (built 1814–15, destroyed by ice jam 1817).
External links
- Bridgeport Covered Bridge, at Nevada County, California website
- Pictures of the Bridgeport Covered Bridge, at California Dept. of Transportation
- South Yuba River State Park
- Bridgeport Covered Bridge at the Library of Congress
- Bridgeport Covered Bridge at the Covered Spans of Yesteryear website
- South Yuba River Park Adventures, pictures, events, maps, wildflowers