Mosquito Bridge

[Max Rockatansky]

Awhile back I was alerted to the presence of the Mosquito Bridge (or Mosquito Road Bridge) by NE2.  The Mosquito Road Bridge is located on the South Fork American River near Placerville and features a somewhat unique wooden suspension span.   The Mosquito Bridge current was constructed in 1939 according to Bridgehunter.com and El Dorado County.   The Mosquito Bridge is 245.1 feet in length and carries a 8.9 foot road deck.  Both approaches to the Mosquito Bridge have at least a 15% gradient with the north approach being especially haggard (I can't recall the last time I saw signs to yield to uphill traffic) as it is aligned through numerous switchbacks. 

Normally I would wait to throw this into a Gribblenation blog but this was too much fun not to share.  These photos below are from Mosquito Road heading north over the Mosquito Bridge.  Note; the northward approach isn't too bad until the sudden right hand turn over the Mosquito Bridge and climb uphill.

IMG_0297 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0298 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0300 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0301 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0302 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0303 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0304 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0305 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0306 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0307 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0308 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0309 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0310 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0315 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0321 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0323 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[Max Rockatansky]

Mosquito Road southbound through the switchbacks to over the Mosquito Bridge:

IMG_0341 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0342 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0343 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0344 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0345 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0346 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0347 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0348 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0349 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0350 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0351 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0354 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0357 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_0360 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[Max Rockatansky]

The Mosquito Bridge is slated to be replaced with a new span which will eliminate about one mile of switchbacks.  The construction has been pushed back to 2022 likely due to the pandemic:

https://www.edcgov.us/Government/dot/Documents/Mosquito%20-%20Look%20Ahead%20Schedule_updated010421.pdf

https://www.edcgov.us/MosquitoBridge

According to a June 2017 EIR the current Mosquito Bridge is slated to be retained as a pedestrian span by El Dorado County. 

https://www.edcgov.us/Government/dot/Documents/Mosquito%20Road%20Bridge%20FEIR_Complete%20Document_Final.pdf

Apparently the current Mosquito Bridge was predated by an earlier span which was installed in 1867.   

https://sierranevadageotourism.org/entries/mosquito-road-bridge/79cdda7a-5db8-4578-a1aa-93828e01dfe6

According to El Dorado County the 1939 Mosquito Bridge recycled much of the foundation of the 1867 span.  Apparently sufficiency rating of 12.5 led to the new Mosquito Bridge project:

https://www.edcgov.us/Government/dot/Bridge%20Projects/MosquitoBridge/documents/PW2_FAQ_WEB.pdf

This 2019 presentation has some vintage Mosquito Bridge photos and renders of the new span:

https://www.edcgov.us/Government/dot/Documents/C%20-%20Presentation.pdf

[The Ghostbuster]

Where did the Mosquito Road and Mosquito Bridge names come from? Was the area plagued with mosquitoes once-upon-a-time?

[Max Rockatansky]

Where did the Mosquito Road and Mosquito Bridge names come from? Was the area plagued with mosquitoes once-upon-a-time?

I haven't quite tracked that down but I would imagine that ravine on the South Fork American River has a substantial mosquito problem come summer. 

[M3100]

Interesting bridge out in the hills, and the fact that they built it back in the day, when roads in general were more, ah, rustic.

[andy3175]

Good research and photos, Max. Thank you for sharing this unique bridge.

SM-G975U

[kkt]

Great photos!  Love the "high speed internet" ad

[skluth]

Wow. Great photos. I've honestly never seen a bridge quite like that. Thanks.

[roadfro]

Neat find. I've not seen a bridge like that for vehicles before. Thanks for sharing!

[jrouse]

An old friend of mine lived near that bridge in the Swansboro Country community.  He took me up there once and we crossed that bridge to get there and then wound up on Rock Creek Road back to Highway 193 and eventually Placerville.  That drive down into the canyon and then back up and then on Rock Creek Road makes for a great road trip.

[Plutonic Panda]

That is really cool. I'll be taking a drive on it before it closes. They should consider closing off the old alignment to cars and creating a trailhead at each connection. It'd be fun to get out and take a hike and then walk across the new bridge.

[Max Rockatansky]

That is really cool. I'll be taking a drive on it before it closes. They should consider closing off the old alignment to cars and creating a trailhead at each connection. It'd be fun to get out and take a hike and then walk across the new bridge.

That's the plan actually.  The bridge has enough historical value that El Dorado County wants to keep it for pedestrian use. 

[Plutonic Panda]

That is really cool. I'll be taking a drive on it before it closes. They should consider closing off the old alignment to cars and creating a trailhead at each connection. It'd be fun to get out and take a hike and then walk across the new bridge.

That's the plan actually.  The bridge has enough historical value that El Dorado County wants to keep it for pedestrian use.

Oh cool! I just saw the original bridge was going to be converted to pedestrian only but didn't know about the roads leading to it. Ill be interested in seeing plans for a trail head.

[Max Rockatansky]

Put the Mosquito Road Bridge to blog form:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2021/04/mosquito-road-bridge.html