California Bridges - Bridge Information and Photos

California Bridges range from esthetic and historic feats of engineering to functional vehicular thoroughfares for millions of cars and trucks.  The majority of earliest existing California bridges were built beginning in the early 1900's. 100 years later, engineers continue to utilize proven structural designs while pushing the envelope in efforts to create safer bridges that can withstand years of wear and predicted earthquakes.  The California State Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) owns and maintains over 12,000 bridges with spans over 20 feet. There are an equal number in the city and county systems. CALTRANS maintains the condition data for all of these and some 6,000 other highway structures such as culverts (with spans under 20 feet), pumping plants, tunnels, tubes, highway patrol inspection facilities, maintenance stations, toll plazas, and other transportation-related structures. Structural details and the current condition data are maintained in the Department Bridge Maintenance files as part of the National Bridge Inventory System required by Congress and administered by the Federal Highway Administration.