Bixby Creek Arch Bridge

Infobox Bridge
bridge_name = Bixby Creek Arch Bridge


caption = Bixby Creek Bridge from its northern end
official_name =
carries =
crosses = Bixby Creek
locale = Big Sur
Monterey County
maint =
id =
design = reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge
mainspan = convert|320|ft|m|0
length = convert|714|ft|m|0
width = convert|24|ft|m|0
height = convert|280|ft|m|0
load =
clearance =
below = convert|260|ft|m|0
traffic = 4,500 [Bridgehunter - Historic Bridges of the U.S.: [http://bridgehunter.com/ca/monterey/440019/ Bixby Creek Bridge] ]
begin = August 24, 1931
complete = October 15, 1932
open = November 27, 1932
closed =
toll =
map_cue =
map_

map_text =
map_width =
coordinates = coord|36|22|16.90|N|121|54|6.05|W|region:US_type:landmark|display=inline,title|name=Bixby Creek Arch Bridge
lat =
long =

Bixby Creek Bridge is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge in Big Sur, California. It is located convert|120|mi|km south of San Francisco and convert|13|mi|km south of Carmel in Monterey County along California Highway One.

Bixby Creek Bridge is important historically because it introduced automobile travel to Big Sur, connecting the remote coastal towns to each other.

History

It is convert|714|ft|m long, convert|24|ft|m wide, over convert|280|ft|m high and has a main span of convert|320|ft|m. [Structurae database: [http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0000502 Bixby Creek Bridge (1933)] ] It is “one of the most photographed features on the West Coast” [California Views: [http://www.caviews.com/bixbybri.htm BCB Historical Collection] ] because of its location along the scenic Central Coast of California, and has frequently been used in automobile commercials.The construction of the bridge began on August 24, 1931 and was completed on October 15, 1932 [California Views: [http://www.caviews.com/bixby.htm BCB from the Pat Hathaway collection] ] . Before the bridge was opened on November 27, 1932, coastal travelers endured rough wagon roads over precipitous ridges and valleys. The convert|30|mi|km|sing=on journey from Monterey to the Big Sur River valley could take three days round trip.

The bridge was retrofitted in 1996 by bridge engineering company Buckland & Taylor as part of the Caltrans Phase II seismic retrofit program. [Buckland & Taylor Ltd. Projects: [http://www.b-t.com/projects/bixby.htm Bixby Creek Bridge retrofit] ]

In popular culture

* The bridge was featured in the opening sequence of the television series "Then Came Bronson" in the late 1960s.
* "Bixby Canyon Bridge" is the name of a song by alternative rock band Death Cab for Cutie on their 2008 album "Narrow Stairs".

* In the 1971 film "Play Misty for Me", Clint Eastwood`s character of Dave Garver is shown driving over the bridge in the opening credits.

References

External links

* [http://www.pelicannetwork.net/bigsur.bixby.bridge.htm Essay discussing the building and social aspects of the bridge] on Pelicannetwork.net
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