Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge

You will travel over the highest arch bridge in California if you take CA 154 over the San Marcos Pass between Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez. The Cold Spring Canyon Arch Bridge opened to traffic in February 1964. At that time, it was the longest bridge of its kind in the world. At its highest point, the bridge deck is 400 feet above the canyon floor; the main arch measures 700 feet between the center of the pins and the entire bridge is 1,217 feet long. It was constructed by U.S Steel Corp’s American Bridge division and Massman Construction Co. The American Society of Civil Engineers designated the structure as Historic Civil Engineering Landmark #44 in October 1976. It is also eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt