Oldest Yosemite Valley Bridge Turns 100
Yosemite, CA – One of eight Yosemite Valley overpasses, the Yosemite Creek Bridge turned one hundred years old this year.
Built in 1922 at a cost of $32,000, the bridge spans 50 feet in length and is 24 feet wide. It is a single arch of reinforced concrete faced with granite. Lanterns were originally fixed onto the buttresses at either end of the bridge. The current bridge replaced an earlier one that was referred to as “the little red bridge.”
For a century now, the bridge has stood in a critical spot, as motorists must drive over it, along Northside Drive, in order to visit Yosemite Falls. Park officials noted, “The narrow road bridge is hard to see from the road itself, but it can be felt. Its sudden crest provides a certain thrill, even when taken at a safe speed – and do take it at a safe speed.”
The other seven Valley bridges are the Ahwahnee, Clark, Pohono, Tenaya, Happy Isles, Stoneman, and Sugar Pine. Of note, the latter bridge was nearly taken out by a 400-year-old sugar pine tree that fell in November, as reported here.
