Bridgeport Covered Bridge - Penn Valley, CA

by Ben Prepelka

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Bridgeport Covered Bridge - Penn Valley, CA

Artist

Ben Prepelka

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Laying claim to the longest single span covered bridge of America, the Bridgeport Bridge was recently reopened after its refurbishment. While the old Blenheim Bridge, located in southeastern New York, was always in contention for the longest single-span covered bridge, it had washed away in 2011. Even thought the Blenheim has since been rebuilt, the Bridgeport Bridge still holds the record measuring 208 feet long. The construction of this historic California landmark is quite a remarkable achievement. Crossing the chilly waters of the South Fork of the Yuba River, the (Nyes Crossing) bridge was built in 1862.
One of only ten California covered bridges, the bridge is the centerpiece for the South Yuba River State Park. Utilizing a combination of a Burr and Howe trusses, the Bridgeport Bridge main support timbers are unique. Two 5"x 14" Douglas fir timbers sandwiched the Howe truss, while an auxiliary Burr truss strengthen the assembly on the outside. It’s the Burr truss arch that is visible from the bridge exterior. Although the pine shakes give the Yuba River Bridge its unique appearance, the siding is primarily used to protect these massive timbers. Because most of the old-growth forest have been cut, these precious long span trusses are unable to be duplicated today.
A 6.9 million dollar rehabilitation project was finally completed in October 2021. All who attended were especially grateful to the Save Our Bridge group and the countless number or workers.

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August 25th, 2023

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