Redding city feature
About this landmark
A cable-stayed bridge designed as a working sundial crosses the Sacramento River.
The Sundial Bridge spans the Sacramento River at 844 Sundial Bridge Drive in Redding, connecting the north and south campuses of Turtle Bay Exploration Park. Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, it is a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge 700 feet long and 23 feet wide, with a support pylon angled at 42 degrees and rising 217 feet above the deck.
Design and Construction
The bridge was designed for pedestrians and bicycles only. Its translucent glass deck was intended to avoid casting shadows on salmon spawning habitat below the span. The project cost $24 million. The design was selected in 1996, with construction following over the next several years. The completed structure weighs 3.2 million pounds (1,600 tons), with a cantilever spar cable-stayed design angled at 42 degrees. The bridge's foundation required 115 tons of rebar and 1,900 cubic yards of concrete, creating a support base for the 217-foot pylon.
Construction materials were sourced internationally: steel was fabricated in Vancouver, structural glass came from Quebec, cables from England, and Spanish white tile provided decoration. The bridge opened to the public on July 4, 2004. The support pylon is hollow and oriented exactly north–south, allowing visitors at its base to view light and sky when the noon sun aligns with slots in the pylon.
A Working Sundial
The bridge functions as one of the largest working sundials in the world. As the noon sun moves across the sky, the pylon's shadow moves approximately one foot per minute between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., marking the passage of time with precision. The bridge is free and open to the public daily, and a live webcam allows remote viewing. Paid areas within Turtle Bay—the Museum, Forest Camp, and Gardens—are separate from the bridge itself, which requires no admission or reservations.
In 2026, the City of Redding completed a $1,797,056 "Turtle Bay to Downtown Gap Completion Project," building a new shared-use path along Sundial Bridge Drive from Butte Street to the Turtle Bay parking lot with raised intersections, crosswalks, pedestrian lighting, and ADA curb ramps. The bridge is also a gateway to the Sacramento River Trail, a 35-mile route completed in 2010. The City administers a Sundial Bridge Lighting Program that allows community organizations to apply for fee-based requests to change the deck lighting for community causes, with applications due July 1 annually.
Insurance connection: Flood protection
Flood insurance is sold separately from homeowners policies and covers overflow of inland or tidal waters, unusual accumulation of surface water, and mudflow—defined as direct physical loss from a flood. A new policy takes effect after a 30-day waiting period, though borrowers in high-risk areas with federally regulated mortgages may qualify for immediate coverage. Flood policies exclude earth-movement losses and gradual erosion. Flood insurance is available through NFIP communities via state-licensed agents or private companies. Eligibility and limits depend on individual policy. The issued policy controls.
Primary sources: Turtle Bay's Sundial Bridge page, Wikipedia's bridge article, and Santiago Calatrava's project page.
Insurance context is general information only. The issued policy and its endorsements settle coverage.