Albion River Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Albion River Bridge |
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The Albion River Bridge, looking northwards from Albion, California.
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| Coordinates | 39°13′36″N 123°46′09″W / 39.2266°N 123.7691°W |
| Carries |  SR 1 |
| Crosses | Albion River |
| Locale | Albion, Mendocino County, California, USA |
| Maintained by | California Department of Transportation |
| ID number | CA 10-136, BH 11122 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | wooden deck truss bridge |
| Material | wood, with a steel center truss |
| Total length | 300m |
| Longest span | 40m |
| History | |
| Construction end | 1944 |
The Albion River Bridge is a special wooden bridge in Mendocino County, California. It crosses the Albion River and is a deck truss bridge, which means its main support structure is below the road. This bridge is unique because it's the only wooden bridge left on California State Route 1, a famous highway along the coast. You can see amazing views of the bridge from the nearby town of Albion, California. Because of its history and unique design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in July 2017.
A Look Back: Older Bridges
People have been crossing the Albion River with a bridge since 1861. Back then, a company called the Albion Bridge Company got permission to build one. Before the current bridge was built in 1944, the old crossing was very low. It was also hard to reach because the roads leading to it had very steep hills on both sides of the river.
How the Bridge Was Built
The bridge we see today opened in 1944. It was built during World War II, when materials like concrete and steel were hard to get. So, engineers decided to build it mostly from wood! This wood was special; it was salvaged (meaning it was reused from somewhere else) and treated with a chemical to protect it from rot.
The bridge also has a steel section in the middle. This steel part was also salvaged, possibly from an older bridge in Oregon. Concrete towers support this steel section.
The Albion River Bridge is about 300 meters (or 970 feet) long. Its road deck is about 8 meters (or 26 feet) wide. As of 2000, about 3,200 vehicles crossed the bridge every day.
Plans for a New Bridge
In 2009, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) suggested replacing the Albion River Bridge. They also wanted to replace another nearby bridge over Salmon Creek. Even though the wooden parts of the Albion River Bridge are still in good shape, the steel part in the middle has started to rust. Also, the bridge's width and safety rails don't meet today's safety rules. This means it's considered "functionally obsolete," or not quite up to modern standards.
The plan for a new bridge would make it wider. It would also have separate walkways for people to walk safely. In 2014, Caltrans held a meeting to show local residents the plans. They thought construction might start in 2018 and a new bridge could be ready by 2021.
However, some people in Albion didn't want the old bridge to be replaced. In 2015, they worked to get the bridge listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This listing could help protect the bridge and make it harder to replace. The bridge was officially added to the National Register on July 31, 2017.
