Historic Covered Bridge Reopens Over the Yuba River for the First Time in 10 Years

Following a 10-year restoration project, the historic Bridgeport Covered Bridge at the South Yuba State Park has reopened to pedestrians, continuing the bridge’s nearly 160-year history.

The bridge is a centerpiece at the state park on the Yuba River, seeing 150,000 visitors each year. In 2011, a timber survey revealed significant structural damage to the bridge, closing it for 10 years and initiating the $6.9 million comprehensive restoration project. Now, visitors to the park can walk across the historic bridge that spans 226-feet long and is 16 feet wide.

The history of the bridge is entrenched with the rich history of Northern California. Built in 1862, the bridge was quickly destroyed by the Great Flood of 1862 that put NorCal under fifty feet of water. After the bridge was rebuilt, it became the keystone for transit from the populous valley towns to the gold dusted hills of the Sierras, and then on to the new silver mines of Nevada. It’s the only remaining single-span Howe Truss-Burr Arch covered timber bridge of this size in the nation and is listed on the National Register of Historic Structures.

Learn more about the Bridgeport Covered Bridge here

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

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