PENN VALLEY, CA, Jan. 8, 2019 – The longest, historic covered single span wood bridge left in the world, located right here in Nevada County, is about to be fully restored! The Project, located in the South Yuba River State Park, is fully funded, all permits are in place, a qualified contractor (the Spectra Company) has been selected with a signed and approved contract and the Notice To Proceed (NTP) issued. Mike Brown, Project Manager for the Bridge Project, California Department of Parks and Recreation, (DPR), reports: … “that (the) contract has been executed by both DPR and Spectra. This means our agreement is finalized and we can look forward to beginning the submittal process.”
Submittals by the contractor for the materials to be used and the processes to be employed in the restoration will begin, with actual construction work to start in the Spring of 2019, with a completion date set for the end of 2019. There are many factors that may impact this specialized Project, such as weather and river levels, condition of the structure as it is disassembled and the availability of the materials needed to restore the Bridge to its original historic condition.
We have come far, accomplishing much and overcoming many challenges over the past seven years with the support of the whole community. Nevada County District 4 Supervisor Hank Weston comments “I am happy to see all the hard work by everyone will soon be accomplished and I look forward to crossing the covered Bridge as member of the community knowing all the hurdles we had to overcome.” We are indeed excited to finally see this iconic structure restored. We will Save Our Bridge!
Planning is already underway for a multi-day celebration once the Bridge is restored and ready for public access. We look forward to many future generations of visitors experiencing what it was like to cross the wild Yuba River on this unique Bridge, built in 1862, to carry them on their way to the gold and silver fields in California and Nevada