Did you know one of the world’s most interesting and expensive bridges can be found in Northern California? The iconic Sundial Bridge in Redding is a sight to behold. The pedestrian bridge was designed by famous Zurich-based Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.
The pedestrian bridge and public work of art opened to the public on July 4, 2004. Costing $24 million to construct, the bridge is made of white tile imported from Spain, glass to construct the floor, plus steel and granite.
The bridge is accessible to bikers, walkers, joggers, and anyone who wants to rest and take in the stunning views.
The stunning white bridge spans the Sacramento River near the Redding Convention Center. Like its name suggests, the Sundial Bridge is also a working sundial. The 217-foot pylon is the sundial, casting a shadow on a nearby garden to tell the time.
It’s one of the largest sundials in the world. However, since the sundial is so large, it only captures 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is not accurate in the winter. When the shadow is visible, it moves about one foot per minute so visitors can see it move.
Never touching the water, the Sundial Bridge appears to be floating. Calatrava said the bridge is supposed to resemble a bird in flight.
The bridge was also designed to respect the surrounding nature and does not get in the way of the nearby salmon-spawning.
The floor of the bridge is aqua green opaque glass, so you can see the river as you walk over it. This can be scary for some people (and some dogs!), so just be aware of that as you walk over.
The view from the bridge during the daytime is unmatched, but it’s also beautiful at night.
The bridge connects the north and south campuses of Turtle Bay Exploration Park, a 300-acre museum and outdoor exploration space with many exhibits. At each side of the bridge are plazas for visitors to sit and enjoy the bridge from other angles.
During the Christmas season the bridge was lit-up in Christmas colors, making it a Northern California Christmas attraction. There is no fee to cross the bridge.
Calatrava is the world’s premier bridge designer.
His other projects include the new PATH transportation terminal at the World Trade Center site in New York City, several structures for the Olympics in Greece, the addition to the Milwaukee Museum, and dozens of other major projects.
Have you visited the Sundial Bridge in Redding? What did you like most about the bridge? Share your comments and pictures in the comments.
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