The Bridgeport Covered Bridge
The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is one of the longest single-span covered bridges in the
country. Built by David Ingerfield John Wood in 1862, the bridge stretches 230 feet across the
swift-flowing South Fork of the Yuba River, and was part of the Virginia Turnpike Company Toll
Road that once served the Northern Mines and Nevada’s Comstock Lode. The bridge was constructed
with native lumber from Woods’ mill in Plum Valley, in nearby Sierra County. The exterior of the
bridge was finished with wood shingles.
A walk through this historic covered bridge is reason enough to visit Bridgeport, but if you
happen to visit during the summer, a chance to cool off in the Yuba’s icy waters is an added
bonus. Motor traffic has been diverted away from the old bridge, allowing pedestrians to take
their time walking across the wooden planks, to gaze out the windows at the river and scenery
below and perhaps to reminisce about times gone by and other covered bridges remembered from
other days and places.