Concrete arch span of Donner Summit Bridge,
known as Rainbow Bridge
A scenic drive on Donner Pass Road
(part of the Old Lincoln Highway,
now Hwy 40)
from Donner Lake up to
Donner Pass will take you
over the curved Donner Summit Bridge,
known as Rainbow Bridge.
There are various vista stops and access points to trails,
granite cliffs and petroglyphs along this road. One vista
point is just next to the narrow bridge, offering views of
Truckee's Donner Lake and providing numbered
Hwy 40 Scenic Bypass
information panels, telling the history of California's
Truckee-Donner area.
If you think, you have seen Rainbow Bridge with its famous
concrete arch span before, you probably have: This bridge is not only featured on tourist pics,
but occurs in print ads, on TV commercials and in movies
like “True Lies.”
In the summer of 2007 the bridge hit the headlines, when
a bear crawled around its support structure and had to be
rescued by stringing a net beneath the bridge span [1].
Rainbow Bridge is a concrete structure. The concrete was made
up from gravel and sand mined at Donner Lake. The construction of
the bridge and final parts of the highway was completed in
1926 for $450,000 [2].
Donner Memorial Bridge, another name
for this landmark, became the primary east-west artery for
motorists traveling between San Francisco and Atlantic City [3].
Rainbow Bridge seen from Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
According to information panel #28, it was the
U.S. Forest Service that undertook to
improve transportation up to Donner Pass. By the 1920's
auto travel was increasing and lumber out of the Tahoe Basin
needed a transit route, with grades lower than those of the
existing roads. When the bridge with its remarkble compound curve
was finished, lumber transport was improved and “the
bridge brought more people to Donner Summit and Lake Tahoe.”
Since the construction of Interstate 80 in 1964, the usual traffic
between Truckee/Lake Tahoe and Sacramento
flows via this multilane highway; but tourists and outdoor enthusiasts still enjoy taking the bypass road
from Soda Springs to Donner Lake, which leisurely (of couse, weather depending) takes them over Donner Pass and Rainbow
Bridge and connects them with Donner trailheads, skiing areas, rock
climbing sites and historical places of interest.
|
References and more to explore
|
