On April 30, 1965, the new Highway 49 bridge over the North Fork of the American River that connected Placer and El Dorado counties was opened to the public. The newly built bridge replaced the one that was destroyed by flood waters after the Hell Hole Dam, which was only 25% complete, gave way Dec. 23, 1964.
Once state and local approvals were acquired, the bridge was constructed in just 107 days at a cost of $320,000. Before the new bridge was built, cars were able to drive across the river over the historic Mountain Quarries Bridge, which was built for trains in 1911-1912.
According to the May 6, 1965, issue of The Auburn Journal, 89,000 automobiles drove over the historic span. After the opening ceremony, the first vehicle to use the new bridge was a Japanese-made motorcycle driven by 17-year-old Bill Gillice of Auburn.
Photo: Assemblyman Gene Chappie wields an ax to cut the ribbon during the opening ceremony. To the left of Chappie is Milton Coffey, El Dorado Chamber of Commerce, and to his right is Don Russel, Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce. The man on the far left of the photo is unidentified.
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