The Spruce Street Suspension Bridge, colloquially known as the Wiggly Bridge, is a historic 375 ft (114 m) long footbridge in the Bankers Hill neighborhood of San Diego, California. It was built in 1912 by Edwin M. Capps. It can hold a maximum of 327,900 lb (148,700 kg) and crosses Kate Sessions Canyon.[2] It was designated a San Diego Historic Landmark in 1977.
Spruce Street Suspension Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The bridge in 2009 | |
| Coordinates | 32°44′19″N 117°09′58″W / 32.7387°N 117.1660°W |
| Crosses | Kate Sessions Canyon |
| Owner | City of San Diego |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Simple suspension bridge |
| Material | Cables, concrete |
| Total length | 375 ft (114 m) |
| Width | 5 ft (1.5 m)[1] |
| Height | 70 ft (21 m) |
| History | |
| Architect | Edwin M. Capps |
| Construction end | 1912 |
| Designated | January 7, 1977 |
| Reference no. | 116 |
History
editEdwin M. Capps, a two-time mayor of San Diego, designed the bridge in 1911 to allow pedestrians to cross Kate Sessions Canyon, which separated neighborhoods from the Fourth and Fifth Avenues' streetcar lines.[3][4] It also connected Bankers Hill to eastern schools.[2] The bridge was built in 1912.[5][6][7][8]
In 1976, the city reported that the bridge was checked for damages every three months, as flanges were occasionally broken due to people swinging the bridge back and forth. These flanges are not crucial to the bridge's survival, so it is not very important if they are damaged.[9]
The bridge was closed from April 2020 to February 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Bell, Diane (February 19, 2021). "Column: Is the Spruce Street suspension bridge open or closed?". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Schluter, Kaitlin (July 29, 2010). "Check it out: Spruce Street Suspension Bridge". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ "Explore a short central city canyon under the Spruce Street suspension footbridge". San Diego Reader. April 12, 2017. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ "Spruce Street Suspension Bridge". Hidden San Diego. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ Dougall, Danielle (September 30, 2019). "Spruce Street Suspension Bridge In San Diego Has Amazing City Views - Narcity". Narcity. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ "Spruce Street Suspension Bridge: Historic Footbridge in San Diego". California Through My Lens. February 17, 2018. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ "Suspension Bridge Surprise". Weekend Sherpa. September 9, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ "Spruce Street Suspension Bridge". The Last Adventurer. July 24, 2015. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
- ^ "Spruce Street Bridge (Capps) – HillQuest". HillQuest. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
