Dumbarton Bridges over San Francisco Bay at Newark, CA

Railroad: (Historic Bridges; Satellite)

1927 Road: (Was replaced by the 1982 bridge.)

1982 Road: (Satellite, 1,135 photos)

The railroad bridge has some truss spans over the deeper part of the bay and trestle approaches on both sides. The middle truss span is a swing span. Most of the trestle approaches are modern concrete caps over concrete piles. But the easternmost trestle is wood. On a satellite image, you can see that the western end of the trestle no longer exists. According to a comment by Harold M, that is because it burned in January 1998. According to an article he references, SP had abandoned this bridge in 1982.

Street View, Feb 2024

Jack Liu, Feb 2023

In the background is the blimp hangers in Moffett Field.

Jack Liu, Nov 2023

Victor-Manuel Valencia, Oct 2023

KQED, Ben Cheng/Menlo Park Fire District
"The bridge opened in 1910 and was used to transport freight from the Peninsula to the East Bay. It shaved 26 miles off the journey on land, and at the time it was the costliest bridge in the state. Freight transport across the rail bridge ceased in 1982, the same year the Dumbarton Automotive Bridge opened less than a mile north."

Dave Kuntz Drone Photos posted four photos with the comment: "The Dumbarton Rail Bridge spans the brackish water of the San Francisco Bay in Newark, California.  It consists of 6 180-foot Pratt through truss spans and a 310 foot swing span that has been welded open.  Built in 1910 by the Southern Pacific, it was the first rail bridge to cross the bay and saw its last train in 1982.  Many of the wooden portions have been destroyed by arson but the original total length was over 1.5 miles."

Dave Kuntz Drone Photos shared with the comment: "First RR bridge in the San Francisco Bay."

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A telescopic lens makes the bridge look shorter and the approach curves look tighter. The channel span is 340' (104m) with a vertical clearance of 85' (26m). [mtc]

Jack Liu, Apr 2023

Bridges Now and Then posted
A still of the SF Bay Area's Dumbarton Bridge, c. 1971, from the film Harold and Maude. The Dumbarton was the first bridge to span the Bay.

Bob Art: I watched it blown up from the top of a building at Moffet

Bridges Now and Then posted
On the SF Bay Area's old Dumbarton Bridge, May 28, 1971. (California Department of Transportation)

Bridges Now and Then commented on Bob's comment

Is today's Dumbarton Pier a remnant of the old road bridge?

Street View, May 2011

Hua Chen, Aug 2023

The truss bridge on the right side of the above photo next to the railroad bridge carries the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct.

1953/55 Mountain View Quad @ 24,000