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Photo of High Street Bridge open for boat passage.

The High Street Bridge opens up to allow boat passage.

Photo of Park Street Bridge open for boat passage.

A view of the Park Street bridge, which also opens to allow boat passage.

Preserving County Scenic Bridges

Alameda County bridges provide pedestrian, bicycle, and automobile access to the County's natural vistas. In 2009, the County completed safety improvements to the Park and High Street bridges over the Oakland Estuary that connects the Cities of Oakland and Alameda. The County's recent improvements to the bridges ensure that the bridges can withstand a substantial magnitude of earthquake and continue to provide access to the island City of Alameda.

A Scenic Bridge

The High Street Bridge opens in the middle of the span to allow boats to pass underneath. The current bridge dates back to 1939, but the very first bridge over the Oakland Estuary was a wood plank bridge built in 1852.

How We Did It

The County's Public Works Agency replaced old bolts and nuts, enhanced load-bearing capacity of various support beams, and selectively replaced cross bars with steel plates while preserving the visual appeal of the bridges. A new coat of environmentally safe paint was applied after the old lead-based paint was carefully removed.

View photos of bridges.