On July 20, 1934, construction began on the Tower Bridge to replace an old steel swing-span bridge built by the Sacramento Northern Railway in 1910, known simply as the M Street Bridge. This bridge links West Sacramento with the Sacramento’s Downtown at M Street (today’s Capitol Avenue). The project was managed by the Department of Public Works and cost $994,000, which was $294,000 over the projected budget. Over 1,500 people were employed during the construction of the bridge during a time when Sacramento was feeling the effects of the Great Depression. Designed by Alfred Eichler, the Tower Bridge was the first vertical lift bridge on the California Highway System. Thousands of people attended the opening of the new bridge on December 15, 1935. The Tower Bridge is still one of the most iconic and photographed landmarks in Sacramento today. Photograph of the Tower Bridge under construction in 1935 from the McCurry Photograph Collection, courtesy of the California State Library. #t...