AARoads Forum

Regional Boards => Pacific Southwest => Topic started by: Max Rockatansky on May 26, 2025, 08:15:26 AM

Title: The 1925 arch spandrel Dry Creek Bridge on Tim Bell Road
Post by: Max Rockatansky on May 26, 2025, 08:15:26 AM
Pictured in the Flickr Link is the Dry Creek Bridge along Tim Bell Road in Stanislaus County.  I visited this structure earlier in the week and it turned out to be more unique than I initially assumed. 

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54541287655_1086279931_4k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2r6CmCx)0 (https://flic.kr/p/2r6CmCx) by Max Rockatansky (https://www.flickr.com/photos/151828809@N08/), on Flickr

The Dry Creek Bridge was constructed along Tim Bell Road in 1925.  What makes this structure unique is that it is a hybrid concrete arch spandrel structure.  The hybrid element is that the vertical spandrels are made of timber.  Typically structures like this in California were complete comprised of concrete. 

The Dry Creek Bridge originally had a wooden road deck.  The original deck was replaced by a metal one by Stanislaus County in 1979.  The structure is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.  However this bridge is endangered as Stanislaus County had a contract bid out for a replacement.  The scope of work includes removal of the existing bridge and realignment of Tim Bell Road.

Stanislaus County released the EIS online which can be found here:

https://www.stancounty.com/publicworks/pdf/projects/tim-bell-road/TimBellRoadOverDryCreekBridgeReplacementEnvironmentalImpactReport.pdf

And the bid announcement:

https://www.constructionbidsource.com/archives/bid-notices/741583