Damage to the Fernbridge

[Max Rockatansky]

The Fernbridge was damaged during the 6.4 magnitude Ferndale Earthquake.  The extent of the damage is unclear at this point but the structure is historically significant.  The last update posts from Caltrans District 1 can be found below:

https://www.facebook.com/100064582844104/posts/pfbid02UebnrbsdzgzGkHfZPWYestjVBSi6BuFcpLEwfzhE76NRymo6c9rBreSsmd18bdvNl/?mibextid=gkx3sN

https://www.facebook.com/100064582844104/posts/pfbid02UebnrbsdzgzGkHfZPWYestjVBSi6BuFcpLEwfzhE76NRymo6c9rBreSsmd18bdvNl/?mibextid=gkx3sN

https://www.facebook.com/100064582844104/posts/pfbid02UebnrbsdzgzGkHfZPWYestjVBSi6BuFcpLEwfzhE76NRymo6c9rBreSsmd18bdvNl/?mibextid=gkx3sN

[Max Rockatansky]

The Fernbridge will reopen today:

https://www.facebook.com/100064582844104/posts/pfbid02GhZ51hxxQJ3Sax6j5Ev7vwGcVo9NS7WXHEuFPtyP5Vof2Lm8Qzy7fezZ98r4pPPpl/?mibextid=gkx3sN

The Fernbridge has quite the backstory surviving natural disasters.  Even basically being on top of an earthquake won't bring structure down. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Current events (kinda) for a change:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2022/12/the-indomitable-fernbridge-california.html

[bing101]

Woah it's amazing how the FernBridge in question was going to be connected to CA-1 via CA-211.

[Max Rockatansky]

Woah it's amazing how the FernBridge in question was going to be connected to CA-1 via CA-211.

It's quoted in the CHPW as being part of Sign Route 1.  I would love to see photos of actual CA 1 signage on the Fernbridge or in Ferndale.

Interesting to think that at one point early in the Sign State Route era the existing highway between Ferndale-Rockport could have potentially been brought up to state standards.

[gonealookin]

There was another earthquake in the area on New Year's Day morning, magnitude 5.4, and Caltrans has again closed the bridge for inspection.

https://twitter.com/CaltransDist1/status/1609624774413778944

[Max Rockatansky]

Reopened shortly after the inspection.  The Quick Map shows one-way controls apparently timed to a ten minute interval.

[gonealookin]

The tough old dame isn't going down without a fight, but one does wonder about a structure that old that has been subjected to so many stresses.  California probably ought to get a modern structure in the pipeline and then maintain the Fernbridge as a historic pedestrian and bicycle bridge until such point as another damaging event causes such issues that it's not worth repairing.

[Max Rockatansky]

Seems many in Humboldt County would be agreeable to that being the solution long term.  The trouble back in the 1980s was that Caltrans wanted to raze the Fernbridge and replace with a new structure at the same location.  That made basically nobody happy and the Fernbridge ended up the Register of Historic Places.