The Sacramento Delta’s beloved Isleton Bridge has turned 100, but locals have a warning
The Isleton Bridge marked a century of service on the Sacramento River on Friday.
The bascule bridge, which uses large counterweights poised over the roadway to swing its two segments out of the way for boat traffic, first opened on Oct. 27, 1923.
Caltrans owns and maintains the bridge, and celebrated the milestone with a ceremony featuring local elected officials and agency leaders. The bridge was raised ceremonially and its historical bell was rung.
A Model A/T Ford from the 1920s was paired with a Tesla to represent how motor vehicles have changed over the bridge’s lifetime.
While many expressed the hope that the beloved bridge would last another hundred years, some area residents expressed concern that out-of-town residents don’t follow the rules when driving across the narrow span.
“It’s one-way traffic for trucks and trailers. Please respect that and wait if they are coming across,” said lifelong area resident Sylvia Silva Hustson. “It’s very important. It protects the bridge from all those dings and scratches.”
When oncoming cars don’t yield to trucks, long backups occur — as happened several times during the ceremony.
