Work on historic Sierra bridge completed

The Donner Summit Bridge on old U.S. Highway 40 takes it name from the nearby pass used by the first covered-wagon pioneers to cross the Sierra in the 1840s.

Nevada County made numerous structural and safety improvements to the bridge but kept the appearance of its original design. The bridge spans a granite chasm near the summit of the old highway.

The county also restored a walkway and overlook parking area at the site. The latter provides a dramatic view of Donner Lake to the east and is used by thousands of visitors annually.

"The bridge is a work of art. It is one of the most photographed bridges in the U.S.," said G.B. Tucker, a former Nevada County supervisor.

The bridge was viewed as an engineering feat when it was built in 1925-26 at a cost of $40,000.

It was saved from the wrecking ball in 1994 by a flood of letters from residents who chose history over efficiency.

Some viewed the bridge "as a costly project to keep open in the winter with a great deal of legal risk," Tucker said. "But the evidence to the contrary was overwhelming."

The old highway provides access for emergency vehicles when nearby Interstate 80 is closed and benefits local ski resorts, he said.

During Saturday's ceremony, tributes were paid to the pioneers who crossed Donner Pass last century.

The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party of 1844 was the first group to take wagons over the pass. The Emigrant Trail parallels the old highway on the climb from Donner Lake to the pass.

The tragic Donner Party could get no farther than the pass because of heavy snow and had to spend the winter of 1846-47 in the Truckee area.

Many members of the party starved to death and others resorted to cannibalism to survive. Forty-two of the group's 89 members died.

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