Yolo Causeway, Highway bridge on Interstate 80 near Sacramento, United States

The Yolo Causeway is a 3.2-mile (5.1 km) elevated viaduct on Interstate 80 linking West Sacramento and Davis across the Yolo Bypass. Built in 1962, it runs west to east as twinned 2,880-foot concrete trestles, a 4,700-foot earth fill segment, then twinned 8,800-foot concrete trestles, each carrying a 46-foot, three-lane roadway. Thick vertical columns and angled supports rise from the floodplain beneath the flat gray deck.

The original structure opened in 1916 as a two-lane timber and concrete bridge built to improve travel between Sacramento and the surrounding region. Over the decades it expanded to meet growing traffic demands as the area developed.

The structure carries the Blecher-Freeman Memorial Causeway name, honoring two California Highway Patrol officers who died in the line of duty. This dedication shows how the region remembers those who served and weaves their memory into its public spaces.

The bridge is easily accessed via Interstate 80 and serves as a direct route between the two cities with multiple lanes for traffic flow. Keep in mind that congestion can occur during rush hours, especially for commuters traveling near Sacramento.

During summer months, hundreds of thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats roost beneath the bridge, feeding on insects from the surrounding wetlands. This natural gathering makes the bridge an unusual place where infrastructure and wildlife coexist in close proximity.