Hacienda Bridge (River Road in Sonoma County)

The Hacienda Bridge was constructed by the Northwestern Pacific Railroad in 1914 at the Russian River near Hacienda siding. During the mid 1930s the rails atop this structure were removed from this span and Sonoma County would repurpose it was part of River Road in 1945. This truss was widened to two-lanes in 1948 still carries River Road over the Russian River.

The history of the Hacienda Bridge

The Hacienda Bridge was constructed by the Northwestern Pacific Railroad in 1914 near Hacienda siding. The span was part of the Fulton and Guerneville Branch which originated at the mainline westward from Fulton. The Fulton and Guerneville Branch was originally completed in 1872 as a standard gauge spur line the San Francisco & Northern Pacific Railroad. The line was eventually extended to Cazadero by 1877.

The Fulton and Guerneville Branch along with the Hacienda Bridge (marked via blue pin) can be seen east of Guerneville on the 1920 United States Geological Survey map of Healdsburg.

The Fulton and Guerneville Branch ceased operations on November 14, 1935. The line appears in detail at Hacienda siding on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Sonoma County. Sonoma County would repurpose the Hacienda Bridge as part of Hacienda Road in 1945. The repurposed span linked communities of Hacienda and Forest Hills over the Russian River.

Pictured is a before and after comparison of the Hacienda Bridge at the Russian River near Forest Hills in Sonoma County. The Hacienda Bridge was widened from a single-lane to a two-lane configuration as part of Federal Aid Secondary program. These photos were featured in the January 1949 Department of Public Works Division of Highways Biennial Report. The structure was widened as a cooperative between Sonoma County and the Division of Highways.

The Hacienda Bridge 530.9 feet in length and has a 25.3-foot-wide road deck. The structure can be seen below as it was in 2009 (photos by Craig Philpott and hosted by bridgehunter.com).

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