PLACER COUNTY, Calif. — The initial steps are underway to remove steel and metal remnants from the State Route 49 bridge that's sat for more than six decades in the American River.
The Placer County Board of Supervisors approved a contract with Folsom's Dokken Engineering for environmental consulting to create a plan to remove the bridge debris.
The State Route 49 bridge was located just below Auburn over the North Fork of the American River. It was washed away when the Hell Hole Dam failed during the Christmas flood of 1964, according to the United States Geological Survey.
According to Protect American River Canyons, the bridge was built in 1948 and called the Georgetown Bridge. It washed into the river and was left there for 60 years because shortly after the storms, Congress approved the construction of the Auburn Dam. It was thought at the time that the bridge debris would be covered by tons of water, but the dam was never built.
“This project is a true environmental remediation project,” Senior Civil Engineer Cheyenne Toney said in a statement. “We’ve worked with the Protect American River Canyons group to obtain legislative action for state funding, and we’re pleased to be in a position to lead the removal of this debris that has been a safety concern for a long period of time.”
Dokken Engineering will be helping the county work with other agencies overseeing water quality and land management to make a removal program and get permits to do the work.
The removal project will be done while ensuring the methods are environmentally safe and won't damage the river or riverbed.
The project is expected to begin in 2026. Find more information HERE.
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