Bridgeport Covered Bridge Rehabilitation & Restoration
RECAP: March 2021
Submitted by John Field
As Spring approached, progress marched successfully ahead with a great deal of timber being installed up top.
Moving from the South end to the North, all remaining Tie Beams, Lateral X-Braces and Top Chords (7 layers
high-full length on both sides) have been installed. In addition, all the Truss X-Braces and Counter Braces have
been either re-worked or replaced (where necessary) and fitted into their cast iron shoes on the top and bottom of
each. Continuous “fine tuning” adjustments utilizing special measuring techniques assure the camber is being
maintained properly. Both abutments have been backfilled with multiple layers of compacted aggregate base
gravel (AB) to within one last layer to be placed after the completion of the concrete work on the pilasters and
the approach curb at each entrance. The arch buckets are now in the process of being installed to the rebar for the
pilasters adjacent to the rock walls below the portal entrances. The arch buckets will be the anchoring for the new
arches currently being developed by our many (very) skilled Bridgewrights and Timber Framers.
The month of April will include the completion of all concrete work, final back filling of the abutments, holes
being drilled for the truss tension rods, steel X- bracing installation and welding up top. There is a possibility that
the bridge will be lowered to its final height on the abutments toward the end of April.
This recap is a mere abbreviation of the work and complexities involved. For comprehensive detail, you can view
the installation process in assorted Photo and Video formats in the March 2021 folder found on this website by
clicking on the Ongoing Progress Photos and Videos button directly below this text.
Month 21 Completed.
***
The many photos and videos available will give you a complete tour of the process along with
monthly YouTube presentations (now narrated in part) created as a compilation (by Herb
Lindberg) of the ongoing photos and videos.
We will continue to update monthly...Please see the Ongoing Progress Photos and Videos by
clicking on the button below where you will also find the many prior month’s folders consisting
of photos and videos for you to view while the current month will be a running list of the most
current photos.
Comments and descriptions accompany the photos and videos as usual.
Be Safe and Stay Well...
Ongoing Progress Photos/Videos...
To see the March, part 1, bridge progress video, click on the image below.
To see the March, part 2, bridge progress video, click on the image below.
To see additional information regarding the bridge restoration project, click the link below.
More Bridge Restoration Information...
Tucked away in scenic and historic Nevada County
South Yuba River State Park has a little something for everybody. The patchwork park boundaries form a “string of pearls” for 20 miles along the river, including four
historic bridges, miles of hiking trails, and the nation´s only wheelchair-accessible wilderness trail, the Independence Trail. The river´s beauty and solitude has long inspired the dedication and stewardship of those who know it best.
Learn More...
Come discover the many faces of the South Yuba River.
Wander through the history of the Bridgeport Covered Bridge, learn more about the wagons that traveled these parts,
pan for gold, escape to a hidden swimming hole, roam trails along the river surrounded by wildflowers, and so much more.
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Save Our Bridge

Campaign to Save Our Bridge continues. The Bridge was stabilized in February 2015 with a temporary structure. Funding of $1.316 million was allocated in 2014 by the State towards the restoration of the bridge. All of your emails, faxes, letters and phone calls to Sacramento made that happen.
Most of 2015 was spent performing an in-depth assessment and preparing the engineering drawings needed to restore the Bridge. There was also a thorough analysis of the costs to fully restore the Bridge. This past year, 2016, was spent working on obtaining all of the necessary permits and environmental impact reports necessary to begin construction.
January 2017 delivered great news as Governor Brown has included the necessary $3.226 million to complete the project in the 2017-2018 State budget! Please follow the link below for the latest news.
We still need your support! Please continue to stay informed and involved in this project. Check this website for updates and respond to future “Action Alerts”, as we may need to communicate our positions on issues during the restoration with State Representatives. Together, we can Save Our Bridge.
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