Sundial Bridge

One of the key attractions in in Redding, CA is the Sundial Bridge. It links the north and south campuses of the Turtle Bay Exploration Park.  Designed by Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava, it appears to suspend weightlessly over the Sacramento River without ever touching the water below.

The bridge is a popular local attraction.

The tall pylon is 217 feet high and supports 4,300 feet of cable.

Tom can twist and turn in fascinating ways to capture an image!!

I began to think of this structure as less of a means to suspend and more as a harp for God's angels.  They come at midnight and play . . .

The pylon is a working sundial, but only between 11 and 3.  If the sky is clear you can actually trace the shadow of its large arc.  The shadow moves about a foot a minute!!

The whole structure really stands out in a good colorful sunset.  (Doesn't everything?)

The deck is composed of 200 tons of glass and granite.  While you cannot see through the glass to the water below, the light that is transmitted through the deck makes it appear weightless.

The deck is composed of 200 tons of glass and granite.  While you cannot see through the glass to the water below, the light that is transmitted through the deck makes it appear weightless.

At nights, the lights below the deck give the bridge an other-worldly appearance. 

Blue hour.

Move an inch on the deck and the whole view changes.

The sun must be over the hill.