OLD FAIR OAKS BRIDGE
Description:
The Old Fair Oaks Bridge is an all-metal Pennsylvania Petit through truss bridge with a pony truss (Pratt) bridge form on its north side. It was built by Western Bridge and Construction Company of Omaha, Nebraska, and spans a wide bend on the American River. It was listed at the local level of significance under Criterion A in the areas of transportation and community development. Completion of this bridge helped transform communities of Fair Oaks and Orangevale, into thriving towns. The bridge originally gave the surrounding communities greater ability to transport their agricultural goods by rail to a much wider market. By the 1950s the Old Fair Oaks Bridge was carrying automobile traffic, and it served as the only crossing over the lower American River from 1907 until 1955. The bridge was also listed under Criterion C n the area of engineering. The truss bridge style dates back to at the least the sixteenth century, however, the metal truss bridge, like the Old Fair Oaks Bridge, dates to the 1840s. These bridges facilitated the enormous expansion of railroad lines in the late nineteenth century and were instrumental in turn-of the-century highway construction as well. The truss bridge became the most popular bridge type in California. The Old Fair Oaks Bridge is an excellent example of truss bridge construction and engineering. In its bridge survey the California Department of Transportation discovered there are only ten Pennsylvania Petit bridges left in California. The Old Fair Oaks Bridge is the second oldest of these bridges.
Registration Date: 9/25/2006
Location:
City: Fair Oaks
County: Sacramento
Directions:
Crosses America River at Bridge St. to American R Pkwy,N of Upper Sunrise Dr. in Gold River
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The Old Fair Oaks Bridge is an all-metal Pennsylvania Petit through truss bridge with a pony truss (Pratt) bridge form on its north side. It was built by Western Bridge and Construction Company of Omaha, Nebraska, and spans a wide bend on the American River. It was listed at the local level of significance under Criterion A in the areas of transportation and community development. Completion of this bridge helped transform communities of Fair Oaks and Orangevale, into thriving towns. The bridge originally gave the surrounding communities greater ability to transport their agricultural goods by rail to a much wider market. By the 1950s the Old Fair Oaks Bridge was carrying automobile traffic, and it served as the only crossing over the lower American River from 1907 until 1955. The bridge was also listed under Criterion C n the area of engineering. The truss bridge style dates back to at the least the sixteenth century, however, the metal truss bridge, like the Old Fair Oaks Bridge, dates to the 1840s. These bridges facilitated the enormous expansion of railroad lines in the late nineteenth century and were instrumental in turn-of the-century highway construction as well. The truss bridge became the most popular bridge type in California. The Old Fair Oaks Bridge is an excellent example of truss bridge construction and engineering. In its bridge survey the California Department of Transportation discovered there are only ten Pennsylvania Petit bridges left in California. The Old Fair Oaks Bridge is the second oldest of these bridges.
Registration Date: 9/25/2006
Location:
City: Fair Oaks
County: Sacramento
Directions:
Crosses America River at Bridge St. to American R Pkwy,N of Upper Sunrise Dr. in Gold River
Back Return to Listed Resources Listing