Bixby Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Bixby Bridge from its northern end | |
| Coordinates | 36°22′17″N 121°54′07″W / 36.37139°N 121.90194°W |
| Carries |  SR 1 |
| Crosses | Bixby Creek |
| Locale | Big Sur Monterey County |
| Owner | State of California |
| Maintained by | California Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge |
| Total length | 714 feet (218 m)[1] |
| Width | 24 feet (7 m) |
| Height | 280 feet (85 m) |
| Longest span | 360 feet (110 m)[1] |
| Clearance below | 260 feet (79 m)[1] |
| History | |
| Construction start | August 24, 1931 |
| Construction end | October 15, 1932 |
| Opened | November 27, 1932 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 4,500[2] |
| Location | |
 | |
Bixby Bridge, also known as Bixby Creek Bridge, on the Big Sur coast of California, is one of the most photographed bridges in California due to its aesthetic design, "graceful architecture and magnificent setting".[3][4] It is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge. The bridge is 120 miles (190 km) south of San Francisco and 13 miles (21 km) south of Carmel in Monterey County on State Route 1.
Before the opening of the bridge in 1932, residents of the Big Sur area were virtually cut off during winter due to blockages on the often impassable Old Coast Road, which led 11 miles (18 km) inland. The bridge was built under budget for $199,861 (equivalent to $3.64 million in 2023 dollars[5]) and, at 360 feet (110 m),[1] was the longest concrete arch span in the California State Highway System. When it was completed, it was the highest single-span arch bridge in the world,[6]: 45 and it remains one of the tallest.[7]
The land north and south of the bridge was privately owned until 1988 and 2001. A logging company obtained approval to harvest redwood on the former Bixby Ranch to the north in 1986, and in 2000 a developer obtained approval to subdivide the former Brazil Ranch to the south. Local residents and conservationists fought their plans, and both pieces of land were eventually acquired by local and federal government agencies. A $20 million seismic retrofit was completed in 1996, although its 24-foot (7.3 m) width does not meet modern standards requiring bridges to be 32 feet (9.8 m) wide.
- ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference
structuraewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Bridgehunter – Historic Bridges of the U.S.: Bixby Bridge Archived July 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
rutherfordwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Spradling, David (April 21, 2015). "Young Bixby Wagons West". Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
- ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ "Big Sur in 1932: On the Precipice of Change" (PDF). California History. 87 (2). 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 29, 2022.
- ^ Craven, Jackie. "Bixby Bridge in Big Sur, California". Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2012.