
What is the history of the Bixby Bridge?
Bixby Bridge is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge in Big Sur, California. Before the opening of the bridge in 1932, residents of the Big Sur area were virtually cut off during winter due to the often impassable Old Coast Road that led 11 miles inland and could take three days to traverse.
Is the Bixby Creek Bridge still open?
The Old Coast Road that the bridge replaced remains open to vehicles, weather permitting. The Old Coast Road from the north side of Bixby Creek is 11 miles (18 km) long, cutting inland across the Little Sur River, and ends near the northern border of Andrew Molera State Park, 8.3 miles (13.4 km) to the south along Highway 1.
What did Charles Henry Bixby do?
Charles Henry Bixby was an East Coast businessman and entrepreneur who moved to California in 1852 and did a tremendous amount of work while he was there. He bought land around what's now called Bixby Bridge, he raised cattle, he logged timber, he built a limekiln, and he built a sawmill.
How big is Bixby?
The area of land stretched from Bixby Landing 700 feet south across the Bixby Creek Canyon. Of the five bridges built along the 30-mile highway on the central coast Bixby remains the most admired.

Why is Bixby Bridge famous?
Bixby Creek Bridge, also known as Bixby Canyon Bridge, on the Big Sur coast of California, is one of the most photographed bridges in California due to its aesthetic design, "graceful architecture and magnificent setting". It is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge.
How old is Bixby Creek Bridge?
90Bixby Creek Bridge / Age (c. 1932)
What type of bridge is the Bixby Bridge?
Arch bridgeDeck arch bridgeBixby Creek Bridge/Bridge type
Is Rocky Creek Bridge the same as Bixby Bridge?
Rocky Creek Bridge, like its better-known brother Bixby Bridge to the south, was completed and opened in 1932. The wide sandy beach at Garrapata State Park is nearby and has safe easy access.
What's the scariest bridge in California?
The beautiful Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California stretches three miles long and is a mile wide. It was declared as one of the “Wonders of the Modern World” by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Can you go under the Bixby Creek Bridge?
Bixby Creek Bridge Beach in Carmel, California The land behind Bixby Bridge south of Carmel is private property and the beach below is inaccessible due to cliffs north and south of the bridge, but don't let that keep you from stopping! Bixby is one of the most photographed California bridges and for good reason.
How did Bixby Bridge get its name?
Bixby Creek takes its name from Charles Henry Bixby, from Livingston County, New York, who arrived on the Monterey Peninsula in 1868. He purchased large tracts of land in the Big Sur area and harvested the lumber. Bixby Bridge is a reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge in Big Sur, California.
Where is the famous bridge in Big Sur?
Rocky Creek Bridge is an arch bridge on the Big Sur coast of California, built in 1932. It is located in Monterey County, on the State Route 1, about 12 miles south of the city of Carmel, and about a mile north of the more famous Bixby Creek Bridge.
What bridge is in big little lies?
the Bixby Creek BridgeNestled in scenic Monterey County, California, the Bixby Creek Bridge, part of Highway 1, curves above a canyon in Big Sur, and is known for its unique architectural design.
When was Bixby Bridge built?
August 24, 1931Bixby Creek Bridge / Construction started
How did Bixby Bridge get its name?
It was the first bridge to link the Big Sur with southern California and is often considered a gateway to the region. The Bixby Bridge is named after Charles Henry Bixby, a New Yorker who owned large amounts of land along the coast of California.
How long is Bixby Bridge?
714′Bixby Creek Bridge / Total lengthThe total length of the bridge is 714 feet, and the span is an impressive 360 feet across. Before Bixby Creek Bridge and California Highway 1 were completed, the Old Coast Road a few miles inland was the only route available to residents of the area, and it was often impassable in winter.
Where is the famous bridge in Big Sur?
Rocky Creek Bridge is an arch bridge on the Big Sur coast of California, built in 1932. It is located in Monterey County, on the State Route 1, about 12 miles south of the city of Carmel, and about a mile north of the more famous Bixby Creek Bridge.
Why was Bixby Bridge built?
The Bixby Bridge was built as a way to link northern California with southern California via Big Sur, an area of protected land by the state. The...
Why is it called the Bixby Bridge?
The Bixby Bridge is named after Charles Henry Bixby, a New York stock investor who owned large amounts of land along the coast of California. In 1...
What is the bridge in Big Sur called?
The bridge in Big Sur, California is called the Bixby Bridge or Bixby Creek Bridge. It is located approximately 13 miles south of Carmel, Californ...
When was the Bixby Bridge built?
The bridge was designed by C.H. Purcell and F.W. Panhorst. Construction began on August 24, 1931, and was completed on October 15, 1932. The Bixby Bridge is a open spandrel concrete arch bridge that initially cost around $200,000 to build. The bridge was constructed out of 600,000 cubic yards of concrete. In 1998, the Bixby Bridge was retrofitted to withstand an increasing amount of earthquakes. The bridge is one of the most photographed structures on the west coast and is a large tourist attraction. It can be seen in many social media postings.
Where is Bixby Bridge?
Also known as the Bixby Creek Bridge, this historic structure is located about 13 miles south of Carmel, California on Highway 1. It is often referred to as the gateway to Big Sur, a stretch of land that is protected by the state of California with the intention to preserve the terrain's natural beauty. The Bixby Bridge is the largest bridge on Highway 1 and was the most difficult to build because of the surrounding terrain. It is also one of the most photographed bridges on the west coast because of its cliffside location and suspension above the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.
What is the name of the bridge that runs through Bixby Creek?
Bixby Creek and the Bixby Creek Bridge are named after Charles Henry Bixby, a New York stock investor who regularly traveled to California for work. Bixby came to California for the first time in 1852 and became known as one of the most influential pioneers along the west coast. In 1889, he purchased 160 acres of land south of what would eventually be called Bixby Creek. Upon purchasing more land to the north of the waterway, Bixby constructed a sawmill and conducted mining and lumbering operations nearby. At the time, the river became known as Mill Creek, derived from the sawmill located along the waterway.
What is the longest bridge in California?
The Bixby Bridge is the longest concrete arch bridge in the state of California.
Why is the Bixby Bridge important?
The Pacific Coast Highway bridge is most important because it provided the first coastal link between northern and southern California. The tourism industry and local economy are impacted by the Bixby Bridge tremendously.
How long did it take to build the Big Sur Bridge?
The famous Big Sur bridge took just over one year to construct. However, it did not open for over five years because Route 56 had not yet been completed.
When was Route 56 completed?
Route 56, now known as Highway 1 or the Pacific Coast Highway, was only finished in 1937. The Bixby Bridge was not opened until the main route was finished.
What is the name of the bridge in the city of Bixby?
The full name of the bridge is the Bixby Creek Bridge , and it's sometimes called the Bixby Canyon Bridge, though mostly it's just called the Bixby Bridge.
Where is the Bixby Bridge?
Drive the Pacific Coast Highway and you have to cross Bixby Bridge in California, ten miles north of Big Sur and 30 minutes south of Monterey.
How many bridges were built in the Carmel Mission?
The first stretch north to Carmel Mission required 23 bridges to be constructed. He later built the road south towards Big Sur, though the short stretch here over Bixby Creek required them to make the inland detour.
Who was responsible for the first road that existed as a precursor of the current Pacific Coast Highway?
Bixby was also responsible for the first road that existed as a precursor of the current Pacific Coast Highway. He asked the county to build a road connecting Bixby Creek with other places along this stretch of coast but they refused, saying no-one would ever want to live there. He therefore got a team of men together and built it himself.
