Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge in the Santa Ynez Mountains
links Santa Barbara, California
with Santa Ynez, California
. The bridge is signed as part of State Route 154. The current bridge was completed and opened to traffic in 1963 and won awards for engineering, design and beauty. It is currently the 5th-longest span arch bridge
of this "supported deck"
type in the world. Seismic retrofitting was completed in 1998.
Cold Spring Tavern, originally a stagecoach
stop, is approximately 600m south of the bridge's west base in the canyon below, on a stub of Old San Marcos Pass
Road (now named Stagecoach Rd.) connecting with SR 154 at Camino Cielo and Paradise Roads.
The bridge causes concern the Santa Barbara community as the site of dozens of suicides over the years; there is ongoing controversy over whether to install barriers or other measures to prevent this.
Santa Ynez Mountains
The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America, and are one of the northernmost mountain ranges in Southern California.-Geography:...
links Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
with Santa Ynez, California
Santa Ynez, California
Santa Ynez is a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The town of Santa Ynez is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley, and features the Santa Ynez Airport for general aviation with a paved 2804 x 75 foot runway. The population was 4,418...
. The bridge is signed as part of State Route 154. The current bridge was completed and opened to traffic in 1963 and won awards for engineering, design and beauty. It is currently the 5th-longest span arch bridge
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
of this "supported deck"
Timeline of three longest supported deck arch bridge spans
This is the timeline of the 3 longest supported deck arch bridge spans in the world, where the road deck lies on top of the arch. The deck is supported by columns, truss, rubble or lies directly on the arch...
type in the world. Seismic retrofitting was completed in 1998.
Cold Spring Tavern, originally a stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
stop, is approximately 600m south of the bridge's west base in the canyon below, on a stub of Old San Marcos Pass
San Marcos Pass
San Marcos Pass is a mountain pass in the Santa Ynez Mountains in California.It is traversed by State Route 154. The pass connects Los Olivos and the Santa Ynez Valley with Santa Barbara, California...
Road (now named Stagecoach Rd.) connecting with SR 154 at Camino Cielo and Paradise Roads.
The bridge causes concern the Santa Barbara community as the site of dozens of suicides over the years; there is ongoing controversy over whether to install barriers or other measures to prevent this.
External links
- Seismic retrofit 1999 Buckland & Taylor Ltd.
- Aerial photo 12/27/08.