Bridgeport Covered Bridge | |
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View of the Bridgeport Covered Bridge | |
Coordinates | 39°17′33.86″N 121°11′41.66″W / 39.2927389°N 121.1949056°W |
Carries | Pedestrian |
Crosses | South Yuba River |
Locale | Nevada County, California |
Characteristics | |
Design | Howe truss with auxiliary arch covered bridge[1] |
Total length | 233 feet (71 m)[1] |
Longest span | 208 feet (63 m)[2] |
Load limit | 13 Tons (Current estimate at 3 tons due to age of timbers) |
History | |
Designer | David Ingefield Wood[1] |
Opened | 1862[1] |
Bridgeport Covered Bridge | |
Nearest city | French Corral, CA |
Built | 1862[2] |
Architectural style | Howe truss with an auxiliary Burr Arch Truss[2] |
NRHP reference No. | 71000168 |
CHISL No. | 390[3] |
Added to NRHP | July 14, 1971[4] |
Location | |
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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 built in 1862 by David John Wood. Its lumber came from Plum Valley in Sierra County, California.[5] The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in 1972 and pedestrian traffic in 2011 due to deferred maintenance and "structural problems".[6]
On June 20, 2014, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed budget legislation that included $1.3 million for the bridge's restoration. The work was slated to be done in two phases—near-term stabilization followed by restoration.[7] The bridge reopened to pedestrians in November 2021 following completion of the restoration work.[8]
The Bridgeport Covered Bridge has the longest clear single span of any surviving wooden covered bridge in the world.[1][9]