Century-Old Green Bridge Collapses Near Covelo; Driver Escapes With Minor Injuries

The Green Bridge over Mill Creek in northeast Mendocino County lies crumpled in the creek bed after collapsing Friday evening while a vehicle was crossing. The century-old bridge had long been set for replacement but remained a vital link for some Round Valley residents. [Image from the California Highway Patrol Ukiah office]

For generations of Round Valley residents, the Green Bridge wasn’t just a bridge.

It was the familiar rattle under the tires crossing Mill Creek. It was the narrow green truss waiting at the bend in the road. It was a landmark, a meeting point, a piece of local history that connected families, ranches, and communities on both sides of the creek.

Late yesterday evening, about 7 p.m. on June 12, that piece of Covelo’s history suddenly collapsed. And it collapsed with a vehicle on it.

Video used with the permission of Ron Stark

According to the California Highway Patrol, the vehicle was crossing the Hill Road Bridge over Mill Creek when the structure buckled beneath it. The vehicle overturned and came to rest on its roof amid the wreckage near the creek below. Emergency dispatch traffic said there was no need for medical aid at first. However, more than an hour later, emergency crews were dispatched after the driver reportedly developed neck and chest pain and sought treatment after returning home. CHP said the driver suffered minor injuries however on their website.

Twisted steel trusses and shattered decking mark the remains of Covelo’s Green Bridge. Federal records show the 1925 structure had been identified for replacement and was rated in poor condition before Friday’s collapse. [Photo by Patricia Sobrero]

Photos from the scene show twisted green steel, buckled timbers and the overturned vehicle surrounded by debris where the bridge once stood.

The structure was over a century old. Federal records show it was built in 1925. The one-lane steel truss bridge had weight restrictions and had long been identified for replacement.

Public inspection records paint a picture of a structure that was showing its age. The bridge was rated in poor condition and classified as structurally deficient. Inspection records said replacement of the bridge was the solution.

For years, residents had lived with the bridge’s limitations. Weight restrictions meant some heavy vehicles could not legally cross it. Community members noted that certain large fire fighting equipment couldn’t use the crossing, a huge concern in a region where being prepared for wildfire is a part of life.

A 2022 county request for proposals sought engineering support for the Mill Creek Bridge replacement project. By early 2024, Mendocino County transportation officials told supervisors they were finalizing plans and acquiring rights-of-way needed to construct a replacement crossing.

The replacement envisioned for the Green Bridge project would have traded the familiar narrow crossing for a more modern structure designed to safely accommodate today’s traffic and emergency vehicles. The image shows one rendering of the proposed replacement bridge planned for the Mill Creek crossing. [Image from here]

But the bridge was beloved. Many in the Valley wanted to see the familiar structure saved. Others wanted something safer and more sturdy. The replacement debate reflected the community’s conflicting feelings about a structure that was both a cherished landmark and an aging piece of infrastructure. Residents knew its shortcomings, but they also valued its history.

Just last week on a Covelo social media page, Round Valley resident Rachel Olivieri wrote, “We have all crossed the Green Bridge countless times, hearing its familiar rattle as we made our way across Mill Creek…It has always been part of life in Round Valley.”

Olivieri acknowledged the need for a modern bridge capable of carrying emergency vehicles and improving public safety. Still, she worried about losing a piece of local identity.

“The Green Bridge is more than a way across Mill Creek,” she wrote. “It is part of Covelo’s identity and history.”

Last night’s collapse ended that debate. The decision about preserving the bridge was made by gravity.

An overturned vehicle rests amid the wreckage after the Hill Road Bridge over Mill Creek gave way beneath it Friday evening. CHP reported the driver suffered minor injuries despite the dramatic collapse. [Photo by Patricia Sobrero]

For residents who rely on the crossing, the loss is more than sentimental. The collapse leaves a critical gap in the local road network. Residents who once crossed Mill Creek in a matter of seconds now face detours measured in miles. And they face it without the preparation that would have come with a planned new structure. Emergency response routes, daily commutes, ranch operations, school trips and routine errands may all be affected while officials determine how to best restore access. The practical consequences are likely to become  clearer and more painful in the coming days as county officials assess damage, establish detours and figure out what comes next.

The long-running discussion among community members about replacement is over.  But, local resident Larry Bright, suggested that perhaps some piece of it should remain. “Maybe they’ll use some of the rubble on the new bridge in some way as a commemorative.,” he wrote. “They could probably weld some of the old steel onto the new structure in a way that is not at all structural, but just for Old times sake. I think it would be appropriate.”

Whether any part of the Green Bridge survives remains to be seen. What is certain is that a crossing that carried Round Valley residents through wars, floods, droughts, booms and busts for nearly 100 years is gone.

In the days ahead, officials will likely face questions about how a bridge that had been inspected, monitored, and set for replacement could fail so suddenly.

But on Friday night, for the locals that live there, those questions took a back seat to a simple reality, for the first time in living memory, the familiar rattle of tires crossing the Green Bridge has fallen silent.