To give you perspective of size in this photo.....see the four people standing on the beach in the lower left hand corner. There's a semi up on the Foresthill bridge, on the right side of the photo.....
FORESTHILL BRIDGE
The Auburn-Foresthill Bridge which soars 730 feet above the streambed of the American River's north fork opened for public use on Labor Day, 1973. The 2,428 feet long span with piers only 16 feet shorter than those of the Golden Gate was built at a cost of $13 million by the Bureau of Reclamation. The bridge was constructed as a replacement for the existing Auburn-Foresthill bridge which was to have been inundated by the filling of the Auburn Dam Reservoir. This was to have occurred by 1983. (as of today, Dec 1, 2001, it has not been constructed). It was estimated the cost of maintenance of the span would run $425,00 per year. This bridge was opposed strongly by environmentalist--in part because of the opposition to the dam in general. It has become a favorite of “parachutists”, and movie makers as well as tourists.
This bridge has made the trip to Foresthill about 20 miles east of Auburn, an easier and safer trip. The old road twisted and turned down the river grade across the old bridge then made its winding way up out of the river gorge.
This road known as the Old Foresthill Road, is still used by many people to enjoy the recreation of the river for gold mining, swimming, hiking or for historic or nature walks and access to the Mammoth Bar ORV area and to the Eldorado side of the American River.
The new Foresthill Road, across this bridge has made it safer and easier to reach the interesting and historic gold mining town of Foresthill.