Bixby Bridge, also called Bixby Creek Bridge, opened in 1932. Before it, Big Sur residents were virtually cut off in winter by the often impassable Old Coast Road, which ran 11 miles inland. The bridge cost $199,861, under budget, and at 360 feet was the longest concrete arch span in the state highway system. It was the highest single-span arch bridge in the world when finished and is still among the tallest.
The land north and south of the bridge stayed in private hands until 1988 and 2001.
It stands 13 miles south of Carmel on State Route 1, about 120 miles south of San Francisco.