Sunol Aqueduct (Flume Bridge)
Photos
Partial Elevation
Elevation of the north side of the stucture.
Photo courtesy of TY Lin International
BH Photo #165951
Description
Designed as part of the water system to provide water to the San Francisco peninsula in the early 1900's. The system was owned by the Spring Valley Water Company until control was purchased by the San Francisco Water Department. Construction of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct made this system obsolete and led to its eventual abandonment. The site is currently closed to the public.Facts
- Overview
- Abandoned open-spandrel arch bridge
- Location
- Alameda County, California
- Status
- Abandoned
- Future prospects
- Possible restoration of the structure and inclusion into the East Bay Parks district trail system.
- History
- Built between 1920-1925 by the Spring Valley Water Company
- Design
- Open spandrel reinforced concrete arch carrying an 8' x 6' water channel.
- Dimensions
-
Total length: 118.0 ft.
Deck width: 8.0 ft.
- Also called
- Niles Canyon Aqueduct
Secret Sidewalk - Approximate latitude, longitude
- +37.58694, -121.95883 (decimal degrees)
37°35'13" N, 121°57'32" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 10/591923/4160496 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Niles
- Inventory number
- BH 45324 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- October 21, 2010: Updated by Eric Root: added to Aqueduct category
- May 20, 2010: Added by Kevin Pope
Sources
- Kevin Pope
- The Secret Sidewalk May Not Be Secret Much Longer - Article by Sam Levin about the history of the structure & future plans.
- Eric Root - ejort [at] att [dot] net
Comments
Good idea there. Many historic bridges are badly in need of paintjobs. Why don't we have convicts in the system, which may include the lunatic vandals, be put into bridge repainting crews to save bridges and possibly taxpayer dollars to replace bridges, if feasable. Nathan, you got me going...
If they like painting things so much, why don't we make these people do a proper painting of those many historic bridges in the country that need it?
Look what we have here. Another example of stupidity.
Idiots with their spraycans passing as artists. I wonder how much fun those fools will have "cleaning" the stuff they deface as punishment. Again, punks with spraypaint and historic bridges DON'T mix!
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/ca/alameda/bh45324/
The old aquaduct AKA "the secret sidewalk" is being demolished. No word on the bridge's fate, but it will likely be demolished with the aquaduct.
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Popular-Secret-Sidewal...