[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 29, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E278]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MOUNTAIN QUARRIES RAILROAD 
                                 BRIDGE

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                          HON. TOM McCLINTOCK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 29, 2012

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 100th 
anniversary of the Mountain Quarries Railroad Bridge near Auburn, 
California.
  The bridge opened for business in 1912 as the longest concrete-arch 
bridge of its time. Its purpose was to deliver mine material across the 
American River Canyon to and from the mountain quarries outside of 
Auburn via a privately-built railroad. For three decades trains rolled 
over the bridge, allowing the development of the vast quartz deposits 
in the area and employing thousands over the years and providing untold 
wealth to the community.
  After the train tracks were removed for scrap metal to aid in the 
production of World War II materiel, the bridge continued to serve as a 
public crossing connecting El Dorado and Placer counties. The soundness 
of the bridge's design and construction allowed it to withstand 
multiple floods in the canyon that brought down no less than four other 
bridges along the American River. The Mountain Quarries Bridge was even 
pressed into service to replace the Highway 49 Bridge, which was 
destroyed when Hell Hole Dam broke in 1964, until a replacement bridge 
could be built.
  But the Mountain Quarries Bridge has done more than serve the simple 
commercial purpose of transport across the river. Since 1955, the 
bridge has been a defining stretch in countless endurance rides and 
foot races. In the famed Western States Endurance Run, Mountain 
Quarries Bridge serves as the final landmark of the course and the 
transition out of the California wilderness into Auburn and the finish 
line. For the many adventurers, riders and runners who have used the 
bridge on hikes and races over the years, it serves as a monument to 
the trials endured in their journeys and the satisfaction and joy of 
their accomplishments.
  Standing a few miles from the confluence of the North and Middle 
Forks, the Mountain Quarries Railroad Bridge is a testament to bygone 
times when the beneficial use of our public resources was both frequent 
and celebrated. Having served the many commercial and recreational 
purposes of the area for a century, the Mountain Quarries Railroad 
Bridge is a fine model for the responsible utilization of the public 
lands for the public's use.
  Mr. Speaker, I am glad to rise today and join the communities of El 
Dorado and Placer counties as they celebrate this auspicious occasion.

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