Northbound view of the 1928 Santa Clara River Bridge
Original 1928 railing on the eastern side of the bridge.
Looking north over the bridge.
Beneath the bridge.
1929 view of the Santa Clara River Bridge. Courtesy – Caltrans
Looking west from the 1928 bridge toward the site of the 1916 span (near the green cottonwood trees on the left bank) in 2005.
This bridge was completed June 13, 1928 at a cost of about $200,000. It has remained virtually unchanged since then other than the different railing on the west side. That railing was changed in 1972 most likely due to earthquake damage from the February 9, 1971 Sylmar quake. The structure consists of steel girders supported by concrete pilings. Underneath the bridge, it looks identical to the 1932 side of the Piru Creek Bridge (53-0082). The old bridge, for the Ridge Route, was washed out when the St. Francis Dam broke on March 13, 1928. A temporary pile structure was built using the 1916 approaches in the interim while the new bridge was under construction.
1933 USGS map showing the area around Saugus Junction and the Santa Clara River Bridge. 1916 bridge crossed at the “BM X 1059” mark.
Right of way monument (C Monument) along the old river bridge approach.
Looking toward the current alignment. Well defined crack at the left roadway edge marks the edge of the old paving.
Old alignment curving toward the bridge is visible as a curved crack in the paving.
View of south pier from the 1916 bridge just west of the current alignment of US 99.
Original Santa Clara River bridge. Postcard is mislabeled as Castaic Creek, which was a thru-girder style.
1916 bridge just after the St. Francis Dam collapsed in 1928.
Same location in 2022.
1999 aerial view showing I-5 (far right), US 99 (middle), and the pre-1928 alignment (left) crossing the Santa Clara River. Courtesy – Caltrans
Go North on US 99 / West SR-126 to Bakersfield / Ventura
Go South on US 99 / East SR-126 to Bakersfield / Ventura
