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bridges

first street bridge
napa, california

  • First Street Bridge
  • First Street Bridge
  • First Street Bridge
  • First Street Bridge
  • First Street Bridge

MacDonald Architects designed the new First Street Bridge in Napa, California in collaboration with bridge engineers. The new span is a reinforced concrete girder spanning the Napa River. The design evolved from a general consensus from the community and the City of Napa that the new bridge needed to be a signature structure.

The new signature-style replacement bridge serves as the gateway to the City of Napa and the connecting link from the downtown area to the exhibition grounds. It also ties in with the other new family of bridges over the river. The city and the community stressed the need for an extremely pedestrian and bicycle friendly structure. As shown above, belvedere overlooks provide an area for people to rest and enjoy the surrounding environment. These overlooks compliment a new esplanade that is being developed to connect the public parks, walkways and trail systems along the Napa River and the downtown areas.

MacDonald Architects coordinated with the City of Napa’s urban designer in order to blend the bridge’s traditional vocabulary with the region’s existing vernacular.