Bixby Creek Bridge is a concrete, open-spandrel arch bridge. Its total length is 714 feet.

State engineers studied two alternative routes: an inland route with a small bridge or a coastal route with a large bridge. The engineers choose the coastal route because it was safer, more scenic and less disruptive to the environment.

The engineers also considered steel and concrete designs. They chose concrete to reduce construction and maintenance costs and because concrete echoed the color and composition of the rock cliffs.

Prior to the opening of the bridge in 1932, Big Sur residents were virtually cut off during winter because the Old Coast Road was often impassable.

At its completion, the Bixby Creek Bridge was the longest concrete arch span in the State Highway System. It remains one of the tallest single-span concrete bridges in the world.

Adapted from Wikipedia.