Have you seen the amazing bridge that Redding built?

The Sundial Bridge has become the iconic image of Redding, CA

All photos and aerials by Doug Bardwell, unless otherwise mentioned.

The Turtle Bay area of the Sacramento River was the hunting, fishing, and gathering area of the Wintu Indigenous people until the influx of white settlers during the gold rush era in the mid-19^th century.

Mining towns began to pop up along the river as prospectors panned for gold. By 1872, the Central Pacific Railroad set up a station named after one of their land agents, Benjamin Redding. That brought more people, and the town began to flourish.

Fifteen miles north, the second-largest dam in the United States began to be engineered in the late 1930s. It would provide flood control, generate electricity, and manage water in the California Central Valley. But there was one problem: you need a lot of gravel for all the concrete to build a dam, and there was none at the proposed dam site.

Fortunately, there was abundant gravel and rock around Turtle Bay. Unfortunately, it was 10 miles away. So, engineers designed a 10-mile-long motorized conveyor belt and began sending rock and gravel north to the dam site. On the banks of Turtle Bay, a monumental dredging and mining operation sorted, crushed and washed the rock before it began its two-hour journey north.

Creating a comprehensive learning experience

As Redding grew, so did its cultural interests. Early in the 20^th century, the Redding Museum of Art & History opened north of Turtle Bay. Later, in the 1970s, Carter House Natural Science Museum opened south of Turtle Bay. Then, in 1992, the McConnell Foundation purchased the Benton Ranch, beginning the development of its Arboretum and Gardens on the north shore of Turtle Bay.  

About this time, Redding’s leaders began to envision a combined museum space with indoor and outdoor exhibits that would significantly enhance the opportunity for discovery and learning. Again, there was a problem. How could the museums be joined on available acreage on one side of the river with the arboretum and gardens on the other?  

A citizen’s committee was formed to find and select an engineer to design a bridge spanning the river without touching the water. The site of the bridge was a most active salmon spawning area, and they did not want to disturb that activity.

Four engineers answered the call, each proposing entirely different designs. After all the designs were presented, the committee met and could not agree on any one of the designs.

One of the committee members, John Mancasola, currently President of the McConnell Foundation, was traveling when he saw a table-top book of Santiago Calatrava’s work. As an artist, sculptor, architect and engineer, Calatrava became world-famous for his work, especially with train stations and bridges. But there were two problems: he lived half a world away and had never designed a free-standing bridge in the United States.

In 1997, on a whim, Mancasola decided to call his office in Zurich, Switzerland and see if he could get a response. Much to his surprise, Calatrava answered the phone himself. After a conversation, Calatrava agreed to come and look at the location.

Shannon Phillips, Chief Operating Officer of the McConnell Foundation, explains that Calatrava explained later, “If the people of this small town, Redding, think I would be a good fit for them, then I feel it’s incumbent upon me to go and find out.”

“When he arrived,” says Phillips, “he fell in love with the landscape. Parts of Redding reminded him of Valencia, Spain, where he was raised. He was impressed with the mountains, lakes and water surrounding us.”

Arriving at the actual spot Redding had selected to build the bridge, he immediately realized its perfect north-south orientation and declared that it would be a perfect location for a sundial. With that in mind, he agreed to return to his office and consider the project.

He returned with not only drawings and sketches but three actual scale models for the city to consider. The size of the white model made it evident which he preferred…and so did the committee. They loved the concept and the design.

“I recall some meetings we had where he was able to meet the mayor and other people in the community,” says Phillips. “All the while he’s talking, he was sketching or drawing to illustrate what he was talking about.”

With the town’s leaders in agreement, he returned and created yet another, more refined and much larger model for public display. Evident from the large model was a perfect 700-foot span over the Sacramento River, with an amphitheater at the base of the pylon on the north side of the river.

But guess what?  There were more problems.

This would cost considerably more than the city had budgeted for the project. It was as much art as structure, and unlike anything the populace had ever considered.

Citizens’ comments ranged from, “Why not just a nice wooden covered bridge?” to “Wouldn’t this money be better spent on other infrastructure?”

Realizing the benefits of a monumental installation like this to the city, its residents and its future economic development, city leaders devised a plan to ensure taxpayer funds would not exceed the original budgeted amount for a typical pedestrian bridge.

“The board members of the McConnell Foundation agreed that we would fund the difference,” explains Phillips, “and that the city would, in exchange, go after any appropriate grants that might be earmarked for pedestrian bridges or transportation to support the project.”

With that pesky payment detail out of the way, the project could proceed.

Morrison Structures, Inc. of Redding was selected as the Construction Manager, Margaret Zech as the Project Manager, and Kiewit Pacific Co. of Vancouver, Washington, was chosen as the General Contractor.

Due to the sensitivity of the riparian site, steel for the bridge was prefabricated at Universal Structural, a steel yard in Vancouver, Washington. Eighteen 40-foot deck sections and 25 truckloads of pylon pieces were transported from Vancouver to Turtle Bay. But, yep, another problem: 14 of the largest pieces couldn’t be trucked from Vancouver.

The 14 largest pieces were shipped by barge to Vallejo and then trucked to Redding, sometimes taking up the entire freeway. The trucks traveled at night and during the weekends to avoid significant traffic delays. The effort required the coordination of three state Highway Patrol agencies.

Spanning the river, the bridge is a cable-stayed structure consisting of a slanted 217-foot-tall, 580-ton steel pylon,

and more than 4,300 feet of woven steel cable for support.

The foundation comprises 1,900 cubic yards of concrete and 115 tons of rebar. The deck is supported by another 400 tons of steel

and 200 tons of three-ply, blueish-tinted glass and granite. By avoiding an opaque bridge deck, the salmon below are not bothered by harsh shadows during the day.

The pylon’s shadow stretches over a white-tiled arc in the grass below. The arc is marked with hour and minute markings that can actually be used to tell time during the summer, around the summer solstice.  

Large plazas on either side of the bridge lend themselves to public and private events.

The one on the north side circles down to the water’s edge, where people can sit and enjoy the passing current as they watch fishermen and kayakers float by.

One hundred twenty colored light fixtures below the walkway enable the bridge to be illuminated any color or combination of colors.

The bridge’s pylon acts as a backdrop to many civic events, like the recent 20^th Anniversary event in 2024, which was celebrated with the return of the BANDALOOP aerial dancers suspended high above the audience.  

It also welcomed people to the fabulous “Glowing Wild” exhibit, which featured hundreds (thousands??) of animated and illuminated Asian lanterns. (See the video.)

While designed as a pedestrian bridge, it can also provide quick, cross-river access for emergency vehicles should the need arise.

The Sundial Bridge now connects three of Redding’s most valuable assets: dozens of miles of hiking and biking trails, the McConnell Arboretum and Gardens, and the Turtle Bay Museum. Collectively, they are known as the Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Turtle Bay has a fine museum with many hands-on rotating exhibits for everyone, from juniors to seniors, but there’s much more.

In addition to the exhibits, patrons can interact with live animals, large and small.

Outdoors, visit Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp, which has wildlife exhibits, a butterfly house, a parrot performance, and playground areas.

I’ve biked in dozens of cities across this country and around the world. None have I enjoyed any more than the trails around Redding. A good portion are shaded, and all trails are well-maintained. Riding along the Sacramento River Trail is especially enjoyable. Trails will take you all the way to the Shasta Dam (17 miles one way), or you can opt for an 11-mile loop like I did and circle back over this beautiful Ribbon Bridge, riding back on the opposite side of the river.

Learn more about the 225+ mile trail system surrounding Redding.

For those with a green thumb and those who enjoy taking pictures of flowers, the McConnell Arboretum and Garden is a place not to be missed. Within the 200 acres, you’ll find their showpiece, a 20-acre Mediterranean Garden. There’s also a Children’s Garden with the whimsical Mosaic Oasis.

A fourth connection is not physical, but it might be the best of all—it’s brought Redding’s residents a sense of pride and international recognition.

In town, you’ll find tales of Redding residents introducing themselves to foreigners while overseas, only to have them say, “Isn’t that where you have the Sundial Bridge?”  

In Redding itself, everything from bumper stickers to the city flag,

and from keychains to hotel keys are decorated with the image of the Sundial Bridge. The bridge they didn’t need has become the bridge they can’t live without. It’s estimated that 500,000 pedestrians use the bridge annually.

Santiago, thanks for answering that phone, and thank you to the McConnell Foundation for investing in the City of Redding.

For more about Redding, see some of my more recent articles:

11 Reasons Redding Rocks – the Hidden Treasure of California DougBardwell.com

Uncover the Best Things to Do in Redding, California FYI50+ Magazine