New bridge planned for historic Yankee Jims span. Here’s what else Placer officials want to do
There’s a new bridge coming to a historical site in Placer County.
The Yankee Jims Bridge over the North Fork of the American River will have a new, modern suspension bridge built next to it to allow for passage of heavier vehicles, including fire trucks in case of emergency.
“It’s currently listed as structurally deficient, as it can’t handle the modern loads of vehicles today,” Kevin Ordway, engineering manager for Placer County Public Works department, said in a video. “We’re going to build a new bridge just downstream that can handle them. And rather than rip this one out, we’re going to leave this one in place as a historical resource.”
The Yankee Jims Bridge is in a remote area south of Interstate 80 between Colfax and Foresthill. It was built in the 1930s and has a weight limit of three tons. It isn’t considered safe to keep allowing vehicles of that weight to cross. It was originally built to connect railroads during the California gold rush.
Ordway cited the Robbers Fire in 2012 as an example of why the bridge needed replacing, noting fire trucks could not cross the bridge and were forced to find an alternate route.
The Robbers fire burned roughly 3,000 acres and cost $13 million to fight, requiring firefighters from across the state.
“Being built in 1930, it was designed for the vehicles of 1930,” Ordway said. “Most of the vehicles of today, your three-quarter-ton pickups, are over three tons or 6,000 pounds, which is the load limit for this bridge. It doesn’t mean it’s going to collapse at three tons, but it does do irreparable damage every time a vehicle over three tons crosses it.”
“So that really gave the energy needed to get the funding and secure it so we can put in a bridge that could actually meet fire truck loads and meet current vehicular loads, and allow easy access for Forest Hill and Iowa Hill to evacuate, as well as any other future emergencies that may happen.”
The Yankee Jims Bridge has become a popular place to visit since the rise of social media for its scenic views and swimming hole beneath in the warmer months. The increased traffic has led to parking concerns, Ordway said, which led to the decision to build a parking lot adjacent to the new bridge instead of allowing cars to park on the side of the narrow Yankee Jims Road. The new parking lot will be built with materials pulled out of the canyon to construct the new bridge.
The original bridge, spanning 210 feet, was a “bridge in a box,” Ordway said, designed by the Roebling Bridge Co., which was also behind the Brooklyn Bridge and other famous suspension bridges throughout the country, while the towers are made from Carnegie Steel. It’s development and construction are highlighted in the Images of America series paperback “American River Canyon” by Rodi Lee and Michael G. Lynch.
“This is a beautiful bridge and we want to complement the beauty of this canyon. So we want to build a steel arch suspension bridge next to it, which we think will complement this,” Ordway said. “And while this looks like an expensive bridge, it will actually be the cheapest option that will do the least amount of damage into the channel. ... We’ve put a lot of work into it and it’s still going to take a lot of time to get it complete, and it’s still going to take a lot of work, but we think it’s going to serve the people of Placer County and the community for decades to come.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
