Bixby Bridge
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About
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Why go
- The 360-foot concrete arch, the longest concrete arch span on the California highway system in 1932.
- The bridge view used as the desktop wallpaper of macOS Big Sur.
- The Old Coast Road the bridge replaced, still open to vehicles when weather allows.
Know before you go
- Open 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
- Parking at the Old Coast Road entrance on the north end has been banned since September 13, 2024.
- Warning signs ask visitors to stay off the cliffs.
- Residents launched The Big Sur Pledge in December 2018, asking visitors to show more respect.
Tips for your visit
- The pull-out on the north and west side of Highway 1 serves as parking. It fills up and leaves little room for passing cars.
- No toilets stand within several miles of the bridge.
- The bridge is 24 feet (7.3 m) wide, with no room for pedestrians.
Best time to visit
- Heavy visitor numbers often bring congestion and slow traffic between Carmel and the bridge.
- Visitor numbers have risen sharply since smartphones and social media became common.
Interesting facts8
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The two side pillars look good but are not needed for the bridge to work.
Bixby Bridge - Wikipedia -
The arch was designed to carry more than six times its intended load.
Bixby Bridge - Wikipedia -
250 feet
Temporary timber falsework 250 feet high held up the arch while it was built.
Bixby Bridge - Wikipedia -
300 feet
Platforms hung on a cable 300 feet over the creek carried the concrete across the canyon.
Bixby Bridge - Wikipedia -
The bridge was once called the Rainbow Bridge, after a resort lodge upstream.
Bixby Bridge - Wikipedia -
BASE jumping from the bridge is technically legal, yet landing on private land counts as trespassing.
Bixby Bridge - Wikipedia -
Charles Henry Bixby, who spent several years working in Big Sur, gave the bridge its name.
Bixby Creek Bridge - Wikipedia -
Planners first considered a 270 m tunnel and a shorter inland bridge.
Bixby Creek Bridge - Wikipedia
Shorts
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The Bixby Bridge in #bigsur #california, built in 1932! Taking in theSky House Kitchen
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Aerial Big Sur - Bixby BridgeZen Uncharted Creative Studio
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Bixby Bridge in Big SurAll about TES
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🚙 Big Sur’s Bixby Bridge | The Most Beautiful Scenic DriveRyuken
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Bixby Bridge near Big Sur CaliforniaPosh in Progress - Stacey Freeman, Ph.D.
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Bixby Bridge CaliforniaTravel Diaries
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Let’s go to Bixby BridgeAwayWithMike
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Bixby Creek Bridge 🌉 best views of California pacific coast | Big Sur…Rj Monica
History
Before the bridge, the coast road was often impassable, and residents were cut off in winter by blockages on Old Coast Road. Engineers chose a crossing on the coast over an inland route, because it was safer and more scenic. Concrete was picked over steel to cut costs and echo the local rock cliffs. The state gave the contract to Ward Engineering Company of San Francisco, the lower bidder. Between 1996 and 1999 a $20 million seismic retrofit improved earthquake safety while keeping its look nearly unchanged.
- 1931Construction began on August 24 under Ward Engineering Company of San Francisco.
- 1932The bridge opened to traffic in November 1932.
- 1996–1999A $20 million seismic retrofit upgraded earthquake safety, and at least one lane stayed open.
- January 2016Two BASE jumpers died after landing near the surf and being overwhelmed by waves.
Sources: Bixby Bridge - Wikipedia · Bixby Creek Bridge - Wikipedia · Bixby Creek Bridge - Wikipedia · checked 31 Oct 2026
Questions and answers
Is Bixby Bridge open 24 hours a day?
Yes. Bixby Bridge is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
Where is Bixby Bridge, and how far is it from Carmel?
It stands on State Route 1 in Big Sur, about 13 miles (21 km) south of Carmel-by-the-Sea and about 190 km south of San Francisco.
Where can you park at Bixby Bridge?
A pull-out on the north and west side of Highway 1 serves as parking, and it fills up and leaves little room for passing cars. Parking at the Old Coast Road entrance at the north end has been banned since September 13, 2024.
Are there toilets at Bixby Bridge?
No. No toilets stand within several miles of the bridge.
Can you walk across Bixby Bridge?
No. The bridge is 24 feet (7.3 m) wide and has no room for pedestrians.
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