1862,1971,1997,2021Bridgeport Covered Bridge over South Yuba River

(Archived Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; HAER; Satellite, 1,322 photos)

Street View, May 2012

HAER CAL,29-BRIGPO,1--7
7. General interior view showing arch and truss system - Bridgeport Covered Bridge, Spanning South Fork of Yuba River at bypassed section of Pleasant Valley Road (originally Virginia Turnpike) in South Yuba River State Park , Bridgeport, Nevada County, CA

"Significance: The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is 233 feet [68m] long and was originally built as part of a toll road intended to serve the development of the Comstock Lode around Virginia City, Nevada. It is a Howe Truss bridge with an auxiliary arch." [HAER_data]

 

parks.ca.gov
"Constructed in 1862 by the Virginia Turnpike Company,the Bridgeport covered bridge...is the only remaining single-span covered wooden bridge of this size in the nation." In 1971, "it was closed to vehicle traffic, placed on the national register, and the first major restorative work took place." More work was done in 1997 after a major flood. In 2011 it was closed because timber rot was found during an inspection. The $6.9m restoration project began in 2019, and the opening celebration was Nov 4, 2021.

Shayne Downs posted four photos with the comment:

Constructed in 1862 by the Virginia Turnpike Company, the Bridgeport Covered Bridge is located  on the South Yuba River in Northern California.

A product of the California Gold Rush of 1849, the bridge is believed to be the longest, single-span, wooden covered bridge in the United States with a span of 226ft and width of 16ft. 

It was closed in  2011 due to safety concerns, and this landmark finally reopened to the public on Nov. 4, 2021 after reconstruction.

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I skipped the first 2.5 minutes about the funding. The first phase was stabilization to stop the sagging and prevent collapse. Note the two suspension towers.

43:04 video @ 3:37

Removing the "covered" of a covered bridge provides good lighting of the truss and arch.

@ 3:58

They installed a temporary bridge inside the covered bridge to support the scaffolding and the bridge. The bridge needed support so that they could replace the arches and top chords. It was also used to raise the whole bridge to accommodate higher foundations. And to make the center of the bridge slightly higher than the ends. That chamber improves the loadbearing capacity of the bridge.

@ 5:36

Nearing completion.

@ 35:16

In addition to the above video summarizing the reconstruction, the state park has an extensive webpage on the rehabilitation. Hopefully, that webpage will remain permanent. A link to the above video was obtained from that page.

This photo was taken after the stabilization phase. We can not only see the towers, but one of the anchors for the cables.

SacramentoValley
This bridge is one of nine covered bridges left in California.

I didn't notice the lateral bracing cables until I saw this photo. Because of the solid walls, wind forces are an issue for this bridge.

asce
"The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is the longest single span covered bridge (230 feet [70m]) west of the Mississippi River."
"In 1862, the price for crossing the Virginia City Turnpike Company's 14-mile section of roadway, including passage over the Bridgeport Covered Bridge, was $0.25 for foot travelers, $0.50 for horsemen, and $6—the maximum toll—for a team of eight animals." [And that was back when you could buy something significant with a penny.]
This bridge is "one of only ten covered bridges remaining in California." [It sounds like California recently lost a covered bridge.]