Knights Ferry covered bridge closed for repair in late 2020. When will it open?
The Knights Ferry covered bridge, closed in December 2022 for repair and restoration, won’t reopen to pedestrians for at least five more years, according to the Sacramento District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The structure in the community 12 miles east of Oakdale is a national historic landmark and was fenced off after an evaluation discovered wood deterioration. Until the project receives funding, the Army Corps of Engineers’ primary job is to maintain the bridge, which spans 330 feet across the Stanislaus River.
“It’s top priority for us here, right now. Our main goal is to maintain it, and we do routine inspections to make sure it’s not degrading, and that we’re taking care of it while we’re getting the big fix,” John Mueller, operations manager with the engineering corps, said. “But it is definitely a high priority to us to maintain and provide this historic, important bridge to the community and to the public.”
Funding for projects the Army engineers work on is determined by the federal budget, and the Knights Ferry Bridge is on the funding request list through the 2027 fiscal year budget. In 2025, the Sacramento district was able to get the bridge evaluated to better understand the bridge’s composition, a first step in the process of repair.
“That (evaluation) report put together a number of analyses of the materials of the bridge, hazardous materials testing, things like that, basic understanding,” Mueller said. “And also recommendations for construction, nonstructural. We’ve taken that report, and now we’re seeking funding in the FY 27 and FY 28 budget cycles.”
The project also requires consultation with the California State Historic Preservation Office. “Its claim to fame makes it more difficult to work on, since the longest covered bridge west of Mississippi, there’s not too many of them out here,” Mueller said. “The bridge was put on the National Historic Register in 2012 and so we have to consult with the California State Historic Preservation Office and everything to make sure that any updates we do to the bridge, it still has to maintain its historic character.”
The next step would be a maintenance report that would inform construction for the project, Mueller said.
“We’re going to work to continue to seek funding until we get it and repair it. There’s no … question about that,” Mueller said. “But it just takes longer than any of us would like.”
