FIRST -- Automobile and Reinforced Concrete Bridge Spanning Sacramento River
N 40° 35.596 W 122° 24.106
10T E 550620 N 4493779
Diestelhorst Bridge, a concrete arch bridge, was once part of the Pacific Highway and US99 for decades.
Waymark Code: WMV7R2
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 03/10/2017
Views: 0
Diestelhorst Bridge is an open-spandrel arch bridge over Sacramento River and was erected in 1914-15.
It has the distinction of being the first bridge for automobiles and the first reinforced concrete bridge built across the Sacramento River in Northern California.
The bridge is 639 feet long and 24.3 feet wide, and has nine spans. It was named for Gotlieb Diestelhorst, whose family owned the land where it was built. Some of the family members even helped build the bridge.
This bridge replaced Reid's Ferry. Edward Reid purchased an operating ferry at the site in 1860 and operated his ferry for decades until it was put out of business because of the newly completed bridge. The bridge was called Reid's Ferry Bridge for a short time.
The bridge was closed to auto traffic in November 1997 when the Lake Redding Bridge on the downstream side was completed. It now serves as a pedestrian and bicycle link in the Sacramento River Trail. It has also become a popular wedding site.
Also located at the southern banks of the bridge was the popular established Diestelhorst Resort and auto camp, built by John and Charles, sons of Gotlieb, soon after the bridge completion. The resort contained a store, overnight campground, and in later years, a gas station. It was a popular place in the summer. The resort and auto camp were washed away during the Great Flood of 1940. All that remain of the resort are concrete chunks along the south bank of the river and concrete pads where the auto camp used to be.
Near the bridge on the south side are two historical markers highlighting both Reid's Ferry and former auto camp.
Diestelhorst Bridge was recently listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Bridgehunter.com has some good specs on this bridge which also mentions these firsts.