Construction underway for new Yankee Jims Bridge

A new arch suspension bridge is going to be built between the towns of Colfax and Foresthill, while the original Yankee Jims Bridge will remain in place. Located over the North Fork of the American River, the Yankee Jims Project is expected to take three years to build, which will improve emergency access and provide a safer evacuation route between Colfax and Foresthill. The new bridge will be two lanes and is projected to be 28 feet wide. The current bridge is a one-lane that runs in a north-south direction, is 11 feet wide and has a load capacity of three tons. The bridge is structurally deficient based on a Caltrans Bridge Inspection, which prohibits emergency vehicles from using the bridge for emergencies. Officials said crews had a difficult time in 2012 at the time of the Robbers Fire, which burned 4,759 acres. "We couldn't get emergency equipment across this bridge," said Placer County District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. The supervisor said the project is projected to cost $55 million. Federal and state funding had to be secured before the project could go further. "That took quite a bit of time," Gustafson said. "But we feel we're going to be able to deliver this in three years." Gustafson added, "The board is deeply committed to fire safety, making sure that we're doing our best to be able to respond to emergency situations. This bridge is going to be a great asset for emergency response." River emergencies have also been a concern over the years, Gustafson pointed out, which will improve with the new bridge. "Unfortunately, we have too many people unprepared, and in the cold water and the rushing rapids end up floating downstream toward the deeper part of the gorge," Gustafson said. "The access is critical to our Sheriff's (department), our firefighters, state parks to help people." Placer County Sheriff's Office Captain Field Operations Josh Tindall spoke on the situations the department has faced in recent years regarding emergencies around the bridge. "It's perfect conditions right now," Tindall said Friday morning under sunshine and a clear sky. "But imagine at night, if there's a forest fire and smokey conditions are bad, and we're trying to get people evacuated out, whether people are day camping or recreating. You can see the bottleneck as it is right there." "Fortunately, we haven't had the numbers of incidents that we are now seeing in these areas," Gustafson said. Keeping the historic bridge after the new bridge is completed is important, Gustafson said. "We're keeping this historic bridge for walkers, hikers, bikers," Gustafson said. "We think that will be a win-win for everybody." According to Sophie Fox, chief of staff for Gustafson, there is going to be some strengthening of the existing bridge to utilize it for passing materials across the river during construction. But it is not upgrading for pedestrian and equestrian use. The previous bridge collapsed in 1930, according to the county's website. Then Placer County built the current bridge as an emergency replacement project. Due to the remote location and to ensure safety during the three-year construction period, a closure of Yankee Jims Road, between Gillis Hill and Shirttail Canyon roads, began May 19. For more information, visit yankeejimsbridge.com.