My cypress bridge...

SLOweather · June 17, 2015, 01:57:43 PM

We have a small "campsite" down in our woods, with a seasonal stream running through it. There is a fire ring with a grill, and a small cabin we built several years ago with Glu-lam logs.

I've wanted a foot bridge across the creek forever. For a while I had a 6x12 laid across it, but that was too dangerous for company.

I thought of several ways to bridge the creek, and even built a railroad tie bridge farther up the creek. But nothing really clicked, until...

Over 20 years ago when we bought this 10 acres and built our home, we planted 50-75 Monterey and Sargent cypress to block the wind. I never maintained them, and then, last year, as I was looking at hem, i realized that there was probably enough useable wood just in opening them up, trimming and thinning to build a bridge.

I managed to get 5 14-15' logs out of the cypress trees to cross the creek, and some other logs for piers on each end. Then I decked it with 1.5-2" reasonably straight branches. It took so long because of life in general and other projects. One of which was enlarging the seating area by cutting back the toe of one of the hills and then building a dry-stacked rock wall. I had to do that in the winter and spring when our paltry winter rains softened the clay enough to dig.

Anyway, I got the bridge and a railing along the creek bank finished a couple of weeks ago, just in time for my 60th birthday party last weekend.

All of the wood is from trees we grew. The only other material is the 5/8" all-thread studs holding the piers, logs and posts together, and a bunch of 3.5" #10 Torx drive construction screws for the deck and rails
The finished bridge is about 14' long and 4.5' wide.