Relief Hill Road at Humbug Creek

Overview

The Relief Hill Road Bridge over Humbug Creek (Bridge No. 17C-0028) carries two-way traffic on a one-lane bridge, connecting the rural community of North Bloomfield with the Town of Washington in northern Nevada County. The bridge is the Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park. This timber bridge was constructed in 1952 and has a curb-to-curb roadway width of 18 feet. The one-lane approach roadways are paved. The County applied for Highway Bridge Program (HBP) funding to remove and replace the bridge and funding to begin the replacement process was made available to the County in 2024. The replacement bridge will also be one lane due the low traffic volumes on this road.

Bridge History

The existing bridge was constructed in 1934 and has been load restricted since 1988, and possibly even prior to that. The load restrictions were evaluated by Caltrans and updated in 2019. The existing single span bridge includes timber girders and deck planks supported on concrete abutments. The timber deck planks and timber railing require ongoing periodic maintenance by the County Public Works staff. This single lane bridge is listed in Caltrans Bridge Inventory as not eligible for National Historic Places.

Scope of Project - Bridge Replacement

The following items will be addressed as part of this project:

Construct a new one-lane bridge to clear span Humbug Creek
Remove the existing bridge
Improve the hydraulic clearance under the bridge
Replace the approach guardrails
Increase load capacity
Secure utilities on the site

Winter 2026/27

Spring 2027

Fall 2027

Spring 2029

Fall 2030

Summer 2030

Summer 2031

Winter 2031/32

Schedule/Status of Project

Request Proposals for Preliminary Engineering
Begin Environmental Studies

Evaluate Bridge Construction Techniques & Types

Public Open House / Workshop
Receive Environmental Approval
Complete Design and Permitting
Right of Way Acquisitions Complete
Begin Construction
Construction Complete