Alleghany Road over Oregon Creek Bridge Rehabilitation (Finalist)
Location
Highway 49 & Alleghany Road, Northern Yuba County
City or County Responsible for Project
Yuba County
Category
Bridge: Efficient and Sustainable Bridge Maintenance, Construction and Reconstruction Projects
Author
Michael Lee, PE
Yuba County Department of Public Works
915 8th Street, Suite 125, Marysville, CA 95901
(530)749-5420
Project Description
The Alleghany Road over Oregon Creek Bridge Rehabilitation Project involved rehabilitating the historic wooden covered truss bridge in the Tahoe National Forest in northern Yuba County. The bridge is listed in the Caltrans Historic Bridge Inventory as a Category 1 Historic Bridge. The bridge is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP 75000499). The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic due to possibility of “catastrophic collapse”. The proposed project was necessary to improve public safety by providing a safe river crossing for all passenger sized vehicles as well as small Forest Service fire trucks. This project was unique in that it was the rehabilitation of one of the oldest covered bridges in the State of California. Rehabilitation of this nearly 150 year-old covered bridge created the opportunity to sustainably maintain its historical significance through the re-use and rehabilitation of some original materials. While many timber elements suffered from decay, the primary load carrying trusses were able to be preserved in their original condition and retrofitted to allow for a full structural rehabilitation that maintained the historical significance of the bridge. Additionally, the original rock stacked abutments that supported these trusses were able to be strengthened and restored in place. This project effectively demonstrated that original structures can be successfully rehabilitated to create an alternate safety route for the public and emergency vehicles, create access to a National Forest recreational area, and preserve historical significance.
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