The bridge is the I-5/railroad bridge across the Pit river arm of Shasta Lake. At the time the dam was constructed the railroad followed the Sacramento River the entire distance from Redding to Dunsmuir. The north/south highway at that time was Highway 99. The highway did not follow the river all the way. With the construction of the dam both had to be relocated. The relocation of both had to be completed before construction of the dam could proceed.

The first thing that was done was at the location of the dam. A tunnel for the railroad was bored where the base of the dam was to be located. When the railroad was relocated through the tunnel, construction on the base of the dam could begin. When the base of the dam was completed, the tunnel was plugged, and the river was diverted through the tunnel for the rest of the construction of the dam.

During the time that the railroad was running through the tunnel, construction was proceeding for the relocation of the railroad and Highway 99.

At that time Highway 99 went north of Redding and up the Pit river on the east side of the river. Upstream from where the Pit river bridge is now located, Highway 99 crossed the Pit on a low concrete arch bridge and then climbed the hill to O'Brien, over to Salt Creek, and down Salt Creek to the Sacramento river. Then it followed the Sacramento upstream to the present location of Lakehead.

The plan was to build the railroad from both ends. First was the trestle at Redding and bridge at Lakehead. The trestle at Redding was completed when a flood in 1940 washed out two of the piers at the south end. This delayed getting steel to the south end of the Pit River Bridge. The Lakehead bridge was completed and steel could be provided for, first, the Salt Creek bridge and, second, for the O'Brien bridge. When those three bridges were completed, steel could be delivered to the north end of the Pit river bridge in June 1941.

With the rerouting complete in 1942 the Sacrameto river could be diverted through the railroad tunnel until the dam was completed. Then the tunnel was plugged.

This summer the lake level is down and you can see parts of the old highway. Take the Salt Creek exit and go down the canyon. That was 99. It goes under the Salt Creek railroad bridge and if you hike down to the lake edge you can get some good photos of the bridge. Another place is at Lakehead. On the west side of the river, follow the road south. When you cross a bridge, stop and take a look. The old highway was a concrete arch bridge across the side canyon. That bridge was covered by the lake. The new bridge is an extension, built on the deck of the old bridge that gets the new road above the water.

You can see traces of the railroad from Redding to the face of the dam. You can look across the face of the relocation tunnel at the dam.

Go to the visitors center at the dam and they have several albums of black and white photos of the dam under construction. A couple are nothing but photos of the railroad and the bridges.

jb