Eel River Bridge - Fernbridge, California - Arch Bridges on Waymarking.com

The historic Eel River Bridge (or Fernbridge) provides the Calif. Hwy. 211 crossing of the Eel River. The reinforced concrete bridge has a total length of 2,408 feet including the approaches. It was recognized as an engineering feat at the time of its construction in 1911. Fernbridge is a seven-span, earth-filled spandrel arch bridge whose individual spans, which measure 196 feet, are the longest of this design in the State of California. The concrete approaches were added in 1920 and totaling 954 feet, consists of 47, T-girder spans.

The Eel River had long been a dangerous barrier to transportation during the winter. Early efforts for a bridge leading to Ferndale were renewed in 1893 when a petition was presented to the County Board of Supervisors requesting a bridge across Eel River but it received little attention until another petition was presented in 1909. The site for the bridge was chosen in April of 2010, a contract for construction was award to the Pacific Construction Company of San Francisco on September 13, 1910 and work began in February 1911. Work was completed in November 1911 at a cost of $245,967. Floods the first few years seriously damaged the wooden approaches multiple times, so in 1920 they were replaced by reinforced concrete approaches. The bridge has survived innumerable high water events and the major floods of
1955 and 1964 when many newer bridges fell to the onslaught of water and tons of debris.

On September 24, 1976, the San Francisco Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers designated the Eel River Bridge a California Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. The Fernbridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 2, 1987 with the support Eel River valley residents as a step to achieving recognition of and a measure of protection for the “Queen of Bridges”.

For more information on the bridge see (visit link)

Length of bridge: 2408 feet What type of traffic does this bridge support?: motor vehicles What kind of gap does this bridge cross?: Eel River Date constructed: 1911 Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: Yes Name of road or trail the bridge services: Calif. Hwy. 211 Location: small community of Fernbridge Height of bridge: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/16/2021 hidegoseek visited it 09/20/2013 Volcanoguy visited it

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