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Richmond-San Rafael Bridge for kids

The Roller-Coaster Bridge. The true story of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, near Tiburon, CA, told for kids.

Watercolor illustration for The Roller-Coaster Bridge
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Read along

Whee! We're on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge! It's more than five miles long! Feel how it goes up, and down, and up again?

People call it the roller-coaster bridge. Want to know why it has those big humps? So the tall ships can sail underneath! The bridge goes way up high over the deep parts of the water where the big boats go, and dips down low where the water is shallow.

And here's a weird one. This bridge is a double-decker, like a sandwich! Cars going one way drive on the top, and cars going the other way drive on the bottom. Which deck do you think we're on?

Quiz the back seat

Why does the bridge have big humps?

Show the answer

So tall ships can pass under. So tall ships can sail right underneath!

3 fun facts

  • Opened in 1956.
  • About 5.5 miles long.
  • A double-deck bridge: one direction on each level.

For grown-ups

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Sources

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