Fernbridge (bridge)

Fernbridge
Partial view of the west side of Fernbridge as seen from the south bank of the Eel River
Coordinates	40°36′51″N 124°12′8″W / 40.61417°N 124.20222°W / 40.61417; -124.20222
Carries	SR 211
Crosses	Eel River
Locale	Fernbridge, California
Other name(s)	originally Eel River Bridge
Maintained by	California Department of Transportation
Characteristics
Design	Arch bridge
Material	Concrete
Total length	1,320 ft (402.3 m)
No. of spans	7
Piers in water	8 during periods of high water
No. of lanes	2
History
Designer	John B. Leonard
Constructed by	Pacific Construction (of San Francisco)
Construction start	1910
Opened	November 8, 1911 (1911-11-08)
Fernbridge
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Area	1.4 acres (0.6 ha)
NRHP reference No.	87000566[1]
Added to NRHP	April 2, 1987
Location

Fernbridge, originally Eel River Bridge,^[2] is a 1,320-foot-long (402.3 m) concrete arch bridge designed by American engineer John B. Leonard which opened on November 8, 1911^[3] at the site of an earlier ferry crossing of the Eel River. Fernbridge is the last crossing before the Eel arrives at the Pacific Ocean, and anchors one end of California State Route 211 leading to Ferndale, California. When built, it was referred to as the "Queen of Bridges" and is still the longest functional poured concrete bridge in operation in the world.^[4]