Big Sur Slide Spectacular Part 4 (G16 south to Pfeiffer Canyon update)

Started by Max Rockatansky, September 19, 2017, 10:56:46 PM

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Max Rockatansky

Had an opportunity to drive down CA 1 south of the Carmel River through Big Sur to the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge Closure.  Given there was no fog today the photos were way better than the Part 1 thread:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/6485JF

Essentially the really only change is that CA 1 is much more cleaned up with no traces of rockfall south to Pfeiffer Canyon.  There was a ton of Caltrans crews heading out to the bridge build which has been pushed back I believe to October 23rd?  I'll probably be out in this section of Big Sur/CA 1 one more time before the bridge reopening, when it does reopen I plan on using the Nacimiento-Fergusson Road to get to the coast and head north to Monterey.


Max Rockatansky

Finished the Road Blog for the the day, hopefully the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge reopening doesn't get pushed back any further:

http://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2017/09/big-sur-slide-spectacular-part-4.html

kkt


Max Rockatansky

Quote from: kkt on September 22, 2017, 04:28:44 PM
Awesome!  Love the 1930s bridges.

Pretty much everyone one of them is a work of art IMO.  Not only that, they were built to rise above the mudslide zones which those huge sweeping arches.  Something like the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge didn't stand up with the more modern design with a pillar down in the slide zone.  I really miss Art Deco based design work in bridges, the contemporary stuff is so boring to look at.

kkt


compdude787

Why wasn't the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge built until the 60s? I'm assuming it replaced an older bridge, right? What's the story on that, anyway?

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: compdude787 on September 23, 2017, 12:21:40 AM
Why wasn't the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge built until the 60s? I'm assuming it replaced an older bridge, right? What's the story on that, anyway?

1968 to be exact:

https://bridgehunter.com/ca/monterey/pfeiffer-canyon/

The real crappy thing was that the structural rating was actually pretty good.  I assume there was an older 1930s style bridge there before but I haven't found any documentation on it.

kkt

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 23, 2017, 12:31:24 AM
Quote from: compdude787 on September 23, 2017, 12:21:40 AM
Why wasn't the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge built until the 60s? I'm assuming it replaced an older bridge, right? What's the story on that, anyway?

1968 to be exact:

https://bridgehunter.com/ca/monterey/pfeiffer-canyon/

The real crappy thing was that the structural rating was actually pretty good.  I assume there was an older 1930s style bridge there before but I haven't found any documentation on it.

This bridge report
https://bigsurkate.blog/2017/03/07/pfeiffer-canyon-gulch-bridge-historical-documents/
dated 1968 when the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge was completed has a couple of lines about the previous bridge:
QuoteReplaced an old timber bridge of same bridge number on same location.  Old bridge used as falsework for new.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: kkt on September 24, 2017, 11:31:24 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 23, 2017, 12:31:24 AM
Quote from: compdude787 on September 23, 2017, 12:21:40 AM
Why wasn't the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge built until the 60s? I'm assuming it replaced an older bridge, right? What's the story on that, anyway?

1968 to be exact:

https://bridgehunter.com/ca/monterey/pfeiffer-canyon/

The real crappy thing was that the structural rating was actually pretty good.  I assume there was an older 1930s style bridge there before but I haven't found any documentation on it.

This bridge report
https://bigsurkate.blog/2017/03/07/pfeiffer-canyon-gulch-bridge-historical-documents/
dated 1968 when the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge was completed has a couple of lines about the previous bridge:
QuoteReplaced an old timber bridge of same bridge number on same location.  Old bridge used as falsework for new.

That seems odd to me that the Division of Highways would go through all that effort building those arch bridges but would do cheap and put up a wooden bridge at Pfeiffer Canyon.  It makes me wonder, was the structure already there when SSR 1 was built?  I'd have to look into the older maps but I believe Coast Road was already present well before then as a wagon route?  That isn't too far of a jog south to Pfeiffer Canyon, it wouldn't be too unreasonable to think that the wooden bridge pre-dated SSR 1 with stuff like Point Sur nearby.



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