Skip to main content

Yankee Jims Bridge

By


The Yankee Jims Bridge is a structure located on the North Fork American River of Placer County.  What is now Yankee Jims Road was purchased by Placer County in 1906 from a local mining company.  The original bridge along Yankee Jims Road failed in 1930 and was replaced by the current 204-foot-long suspension span.  The Yankee Jims Bridge was added to the Caltrans Historic Bridge program in 1985 and presently has a sufficiency rating of 0.0.  Placer County is presently planning to replace the Yankee Jims Bridge with a modernized arch span.  The preferred design alternative would preserve the current Yankee Jims Bridge as a pedestrian structure.  




Part 1; the history of the Yankee Jims Bridge

The community of Yankee Jims founded during 1850 when the so-called "Yankee Jim" staked claims in the area.  A community would soon arise near the new claims and the first mining ditch in Placer County would be constructed.  Yankee Jims would be incorporated into the Placer County Emigrant Road which was plotted from the western shores of Lake Tahoe (then officially Lake Bigler) in 1852 (September 1950 California Highways & Public Works).    





Yankee Jims can be seen along the Placer County Emigrant Road on the 1857 Britton & Reys Map of California.  


In 1906 Placer County purchased the toll road between Colfax and Yankee Jims from the Colfax Commerical Company for $7,000.  The purchase of the so-called "Yankee Jims Road" included a deck truss bridge over the North Fork American River in Shirttail Canyon.  Yankee Jims Road can be seen as a public road branching east from Colfax on the 1917 California State Automobile Association Map.  


During 1930 the bridge over the North Fork American River would fail.  Placer County approved an emergency project which would see the current Yankee Jims Bridge constructed by Palm Bridge & Iron Works.  Yankee Jims Road can be seen as a major county highway on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Placer County.  


The Yankee Jims Bridge is a 204-foot-long suspension span.  The structure became eligible for the Caltrans Historic Bridge program in 1985.  


The Yankee Jims Bridge can be seen in two undated Caltrans digital collection photos. 



During September 2017 Placer County announced a design contract had been awarded to replace the Yankee Jims Bridge.  The impetus for replacing the 1930 era structure was the low weight limit (three tons) preventing modernized traffic to adequately cross the North Fork American River.  The weight limit prevented fire crews from using the span to access the Robbers Fire during 2012.  The structure currently has a sufficiency rating of 0.0. 


The Yankee Jims Bridge replacement project Environmental Impact Report was in a review period from November 9, 2023, through January 10, 2024.  The current Build Alternative would preserve the existing span for pedestrian use and replace the structure with an Arch Suspension bridge.  






Part 2; a visit to the Yankee Jims Bridge

From Canyon Way near Colfax traffic can access eastbound Yankee Jims Road.  Traffic is advised of eight miles of curves and the general primitive nature of the road approaching the North Fork American River Canyon (all photos in this section were submitted by Josh Schmid).



Yankee Jims Road eastbound is carried to the namesake bridge by approximately four miles of single lane gravel.  







A small parking area can be found at the western end of the Yankee Jims Bridge.  The structure is a popular location for swimmers visiting the North Fork American River during summer months.  


Crossing the Yankee Jims Bridge headed eastbound.  




Miscellaneous photos of the Yankee Jims Bridge from the eastern side of the structure.  






An informational station for the Auburn State Recreation Area.  


The Yankee Jims Bridge from the North Fork American River.





Facing west over the Yankee Jims Bridge.





Facing east towards the Yankee Jims Bridge from afar.  


Structural elements of the Yankee Jims Bridge suspension span.  





East of the Yankee Jims Bridge the road passes through Devils Canyon where Devils Falls can be found.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bleriot Ferry - Alberta

By
  Alberta operates six ferries scattered throughout the province. Roughly twenty to twenty-five kilometers up the Red Deer River from the town of Drumheller is one of the most scenic ferry crossings in all of Wild Rose Country, the Bleriot Ferry. Using the North Dinosaur Trail (Alberta Highway 838, or AB 838), the Bleriot Ferry provides a scenic river cruise of sorts in the Canadian Badlands. The Bleriot Ferry started operating in 1913 as the Munson Ferry when a few bridges crossed the Red Deer River. The ferry was started by Andre Bleriot, the brother of famed early aviator Louis Bleriot, who became famous for being the first person to fly over the English Channel. At the time, the Alberta provincial government commissioned local residents to run the ferries. There were several ferries along the Red Deer River, and not only did they serve as vital transportation links, but they also served as local social hubs, since everyone had to take the ferries to go places. Over time, as the...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Pollasky Bridge

By
The Pollasky Bridge near modern day Friant is a ruined highway bridge which was completed during early 1906 as part of the Fresno-Fresno Flats Road.  The structure is one of the oldest known arch concrete spans to have been constructed in California.  The bridge briefly carried California State Route 41 following the destruction of the Lanes Bridge in 1940.  The Pollasky Bridge itself was destroyed by flooding during 1951, but the ruins can still be found on the Madera County side of the San Joaquin River.   Pictured as the blog cover is the Pollasky Bridge as it was featured in the 1913 book "The Concrete Bridge."  The structure can be seen crossing the San Joaquin River near Friant below on the 1922 United States Geological Survey Map.   Part 1; the history of the Pollasky Bridge The Pollasky Bridge site is near modern day Friant of Fresno County.  The community of Friant was established as Converse Ferry during 1852 on the San Joaquin Rive...
1 comment
Read more

I-73/I-74 and NC Future Interstates Year in Review 2024

By
Welcome to another annual review of progress in constructing North Carolina's New and Future Interstate routes. While 2024 was not too exciting, with no new segments of major routes opening, there was 1 new interstate signing, another proposed new interstate route, and the near opening of a new segment for 2 routes. As tradition, I will start off with a review of what happened with I-73 and I-74 and then move on to the major news of the year about the other new and future routes. Work continued on the I-73/I-74 Rockingham Bypass through the year. The last few months have been hoping for news of its opening before 2025, without luck. Signs of its near completion included the placement of new signs, many with interstate shields uncovered, along the Bypass and intersecting roadways. For example, these went up along US 74 East: Overhead signage at Business 74 exit which contains the future ramp to I-73 North/I-74 West. Signage was also updated heading west on US 74 approaching the unop...
Post a Comment
Read more