Old Sacramento in Sacramento County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

R Street Bridge

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, January 5, 2013

1. R Street Bridge Marker

Inscription. R Street formed the boundary of a levee system that surrounded Sacramento. It also served as the base of operations for the State's first rail line, the Sacramento Valley Railroad. The line was designed by Theodore Judah, who also became the engineer for the Transcontinental Railroad. In 2010, the City officially opened the R Street Bridge as a designated bicycle and pedestrian crossing over the freeway, linking downtown with the newly developed Docks Area Promenade.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 2010.

Location. 38° 34.518′ N, 121° 30.549′ W. Marker is in Sacramento, California, in Sacramento County. It is in Old Sacramento. It is on Front Street south of O Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Sacramento CA 95814, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Sacramento Valley

and specifically in the Central Valley.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Transportation by Water and Land (within shouting distance of this marker); California’s First Passenger Railroad (approx. 0.2 miles away); Historic Street Lights (approx. 0.2 miles away); E.B. Crocker Art Gallery (approx. ¼ mile away); The Birth Place of the Railroads (approx. ¼

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mile away); The Docks (approx. 0.3 miles away); The First Brick Building in Sacramento (approx. 0.3 miles away); Independent Boat Operations of the 1850s (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sacramento.

Regarding R Street Bridge. The marker text and accompanying 1920's-era picture (click to enlarge) could use further explication, specifically:

The picture itself does not show the R Street Bridge, that is a more modern construction that was built in the early 1960's to allow for trains to cross over Interstate 5 when that was routed on the east side of the Sacramento River, with the Interstate being routed below ground level through this area. The bridge starts about where the picture points out the "Active Railroad Tracks on R Street" and headed east (picture right).

All the buildings visible to the west (left) of the railroad tracks that run roughly up the middle of the picture are long gone, and the Promenade now occupies that area, running from roughly the bottom of the picture to the Tower Bridge.

All the buildings visible to the east (right) of those tracks are also long gone, having been torn down in the big redevelopment

R Street Bridge and Marker - Wide View image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, January 5, 2013

2. R Street Bridge and Marker - Wide View

The west end of the R Street Bridge and the bicycle path that runs over it are visible here, along with the marker.

project that ran I-5 through what used to be the 19th Century heart of Sacramento.

The "Former M Street Bridge Currently Tower Bridge" is actually the M Street Bridge. It was taken down and replaced by the Tower Bridge in the 1930's.

Although the marker indicates that City officially "opened" the bridge in 2010, it was already open long before that as an unofficial pedestrian crossing, as that section of the rail line had not been in use for a long stretch before then. Also, downtown was already linked to the Docks Area Promenade at Capitol Mall (formerly M St.), five blocks to the north.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2015, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 952 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 3, 2015, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.