Sonoma County, California Bridges: O'Donnell Lane Bridge across Calabazas Creek

August 2014 (38.36328 Degrees, -122.52510 Degrees) O'Donnell Lane Bridge

Over the next few days, we'll look at different single span arch bridges in Sonoma County. In Glen Ellen a pretty brick-clad bridge crosses Calabazas Creek (a tributary of Sonoma Creek). The O'Donnell Lane Bridge (20C0324) was built in 1900, but perhaps the facade (or the concrete barrier) came later. The bridge is 40 ft long, only 10 ft wide, and still carries about 500 cars a day. 

A nice feature is the retaining wall next to the bridge that holds back the soil and supports a slender tree. Highway departments train architects to create attractive landscapes out of roads, bridges, rocks, plants, and trees. The result, similar to a landscape painting, can give the viewer a deep aesthetic experience.

The banks have been protected with bags filled with soil-cement and cleared of debris. The creek must be periodically groomed to reduce the risk of flooding. Note how the bridge is asymmetrical due to the high bank on the left side. The bridge is on a bend in the river and so that side must get scoured by water racing around the bend.

The O'Donnell Lane Bridge is eligible for registration as a historical place.

Sonoma County, California Bridges: O'Donnell Lane Bridge across Calabazas Creek by Mark Yashinsky is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.