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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.
Bixby Bridge
You have to cross the bridge as it's the only way to drive
the Pacific Coast Highway along the California coast, and most people will pull
in at the viewpoint on the ocean side of the highway, just north of the bridge.
It allows you to look back at it and get a great photo, as well as more photos
along the spectacular Big Sur coastline. Selfies await!
Bixby Bridge in Big Sur in California
Bixby Bridge History
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.
Work started on the bridge in 1931 and it was completed in
1932, although the highway over the bridge required a further five years to
finish.
Bixby Bridge
Prior to the new highway opening, there was a detour of several miles inland where the Old Coast Road originally crossed the canyon. This road was often closed in winter due to bad weather, which then meant a much longer detour inland for anyone wanting or needing to travel the coast along here.
Bixby Bridge
Bixby Bridge Facts
and Figures
The bridge cost about $200,000 (equivalent to over $3
million today). At a height of 260 feet (79 m) it became the highest
single-span arch bridge in the world, and it still is one of the tallest
single-span bridges even 90 years later.
It's 714 feet (218 m) long in total, with 360 feet (110 m) of that being the arch. This made
it the longest single-span concrete bridge in California at the time.
It is also 24-foot (7.3 m) wide, which means it doesn't meet
modern standards which require bridges to be at least 32 feet (9.8 m) wide to
accommodate modern large vehicles. Don't worry, though, RVs can still fit
across it!
Bixby Bridge
So, Who Was Bixby?
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.
The creek here was originally called Mill Creek, before the name was changed to
Bixby Creek.
Bixby Bridge
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.
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.
Bixby Bridge
Scenic Highway
The 72-mile (116-km) section of the Pacific Coast Highway
north and south of Bixby Bridge was the first road in California to be
designated as a Scenic Highway in 1965. The official dedication ceremony was
performed the following year by President Lyndon Johnson's wife, Lady Bird
Johnson. The ceremony took place at Bixby Bridge.
Where to Stay in Big Sur
Other California Coast Pages
The Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo is a romantic, historic guesthouse on the Mendocino California coast, on the Pacific Coast Highway.
The Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa in Laguna Beach is right on the Pacific Coast Highway and has luxury rooms, a swimming pool, and real gourmet breakfasts.
Dana Point in California is the official start or end of the Pacific Coast Highway, and its attractions include whale watching, and Doheny State Beach.
Carlsbad is a beach city north of San Diego in southern California famous for its flower fields, LEGOLAND resort and water park, surfing and SEA LIFE Aquarium.
The Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino on the California coast is an eco-resort with yoga classes and the award-winning Ravens Restaurant.
Santa Catalina Island, or Catalina Island, is off the shore of Southern California and reachable from Long Beach, San Pedro, Newport Beach, and Dana Point.
Unique Inns on the Pacific Coast Highway include some of the best independently-owned boutique hotels, spas, and lodges in California, Oregon and Washington.
Crescent City is on the Pacific Coast Highway in northern California and noted for its crescent-shaped beach, Ocean World sea park, and nearby redwoods and state parks.
One of the best California coast guides is the California Coastal Access Guide, describing the coast’s beaches, National Parks, State Parks, with many maps.
Malibu is a beach city north of Los Angeles famous for the celebrities who live there in expensive homes and the Pacific Coast Highway runs through it and there are beaches and hikes for all to enjoy.
Mendocino in Mendocino County is a small but pretty California coastal town, popular with artists and with travelers. It has featured in many songs and movies.
For a Moss Beach hotel just off the Pacific Coast Highway, the Seal Cove Inn offers good accommodation north of Half Moon Bay, minutes from the ocean.
Santa Monica in California is famous for its pier, and beaches, and is one of the best west coast vacation spots, with hotels, restaurants, surfing, museums.
Of all Eureka inns, The Carter House Inns are the most romantic and historic, with one of the best restaurants in Northern California.
San Clemente in California is a small city on the Pacific Coast Highway midway between San Diego and Los Angeles, noted for its beaches and surfing.
Pismo Beach is a small beach town on California's Central Coast, a resort famous for surfing and clams.
Pacific Grove is a small city on the California coast, next to Monterey and close to Carmel, with attractions including its historic Victorian houses.
There are lots of free things to do on the Pacific Coast Highway and here's our list of ten of them including wildlife, the best free views, and free museums.
The Point Reyes National Seashore is an hour’s drive northwest of San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway and is maintained by the National Park Service.
Encinitas is a beach city in Southern California, famous for surfing, and regularly chosen as one of the best places to live in both California and the USA.
Newport Beach is a small city on the Pacific coast of southern California, right on the Pacific Coast Highway and noted for its beaches and surfing.
San Luis Obispo in California is half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, on the Pacific Coast Highway and with lots of things to do and see.
The Pacific Coast Highway goes right through Laguna Beach, a relaxed artsy beach resort whose attractions include shopping, galleries, dining, and beaches.
Standing on the Pacific Coast Highway in California, Santa Barbara is an attractive resort with a historic downtown, sandy beaches, a mission, and good museums.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's list of the best beaches in California with beaches in Santa Monica, Big Sur, Malibu, Carmel, Cambria, La Jolla and Coronado.
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