Riverside Bridge: A Bridge Too Long

The Riverside Bridge in 2015.
The Riverside Bridge in 2015.

As you travel around Santa Cruz, chances are, you have crossed the San Lorenzo River. In the City of Santa Cruz, there are four street crossings over the San Lorenzo River and each of these four bridges have a unique story.

The Riverside Avenue Bridge and its forerunner the “Cut Bias” Bridge, created an important crossing point between downtown Santa Cruz and the booming Riverside Hotel across the river in the late 1800s. After damage to the Riverside Bridge in the 1955 flood, a levee structure was built surrounding the lower San Lorenzo River, forever changing its course.

RIVERSIDE HOTEL

Just across the river, the Riverside Hotel used to stand as a fine destination for the many tourists who flocked to the San Lorenzo riverside and Santa Cruz beaches. In 1877, Fred Barson, a Santa Cruz resident, saw the rising influx of tourists in the city, and the relative lack of high-end hotels to house visitors. He remodeled his house into a three-story mansion hotel, and landscaped the grounds with ornamental beds, statues and fountains. The hotel was very popular throughout the late 1800s and boasted a clubhouse, tennis court, archery range, trails and a ballroom, among many other luxurious amenities.

The Riverside Hotel along the banks of the San Lorenzo River. Photo courtesy of and © Santa Cruz Public Libraries.
The Riverside Hotel along the banks of the San Lorenzo River. Photo courtesy of and © Santa Cruz Public Libraries.

THE CUT BIAS BRIDGE

Once his hotel became well-known throughout the state, Barson realized the need for a bridge across the San Lorenzo near the Riverside Hotel. At this time, the only bridge across the river was the Soquel Bridge, and temporary footbridges that were constructed during the busier seasons. In 1888 Barson spent $4,769 to bring a truss kit bridge to connect his fine hotel to downtown Santa Cruz. The bridge he bought turned out to be too long for the spot it was to cross, so they moved the southern portion west and it had a weird angle to the river.

The Cut Bias Bridge  circa 1900. Its spans the San Lorenzo River, connecting the Riverside Hotel to downtown Santa Cruz. Photo courtesy of and © Santa Cruz Public Libraries.
The Cut Bias Bridge circa 1900. Its spans the San Lorenzo River, connecting the Riverside Hotel to downtown Santa Cruz. Photo courtesy of and © Santa Cruz Public Libraries.

The new street was named Riverside Avenue, and the original bridge was referred to as the “Cut-Bias Bridge” because of its unusual angle. In 1930, the “Cut-Bias Bridge” was replaced with the concrete Riverside Bridge, which was built to the correct length. This bridge was severely damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake and was subsequently replaced. So today’s bridge is the third bridge to grace this crossing.

Riverside Gardens Park, located on the site of former Riverside Hotel, is the newest addition to the recreational areas in Santa Cruz. Walking distance from downtown, this park has a children’s playground, picnic benches and exercise equipment. The park is also host to the first public fruit orchard in the city.

Back in the day Riverside Hotel was famous for its extensive fruit orchards producing the best pears in the country. Hundred years later locals bring it back following the growing trend of community city gardens. The public garden is a collaborative work of the non-profit Santa Cruz Tree Project, Andy Moskowitz, David Shaw and citizens of the Lower Ocean Neighborhood. In addition to the free fresh fruit, the garden provides educational resources for the community on food cultivation and sustainable living.

Riverside Gardens Park in 2015.
Riverside Gardens Park in 2015. Photo © Coastal Watershed Council.

Take the Self-Guided Mobile Tour

This piece is part of the San Lorenzo River Tour by the Coastal Watershed Council. Download the free app with many tours of the Santa Cruz area and beyond.

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Go to Mobile Ranger Guides in the Apple App Store
Go to Mobile Ranger Guides in the Google Play Store
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About The Author

Coastal Watershed Council

The Coastal Watershed Council is a nonprofit organization formed in 1995 in response to the declining health of watersheds in the Monterey Bay region. Our mission is to preserve and protect coastal watersheds through community stewardship, education and monitoring.

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