- [Announcer 2] And now "Rob on the Road" exploring Northern California.

- [Rob] The Tower Bridge with its iconic golden hue and art deco design stands as a symbol of Sacramento's resilience and growth.

Since 1935 the bridge has not only connected the capital region across the Sacramento River, but also served as a vital artery for economic prosperity.

Over the decades this striking structure has witnessed the ebb and flow of commerce, the influx of tourism, and the rise of local businesses that began along the banks of this river.

To keep business and recreation moving, the bridge has to rise for large vessels to pass underneath, and when the river is high.

Come with me on a tour of the tower as it rises 100 feet in the air.

- This bridge is probably just as famous as the state capitol because of the amount of visitors that come here to see it when they come to Sacramento.

(siren blaring) What's going on?

- We're moving.

- We are moving.

- We are, or what is?

- We are.

- We are.

- This is the bridge deck that's being lifted.

- We're moving right now.

- Yes we are.

(Rob laughing) - I had no idea!

Okay, I thought something was happening, but I did not know that's what it was.

All right.

All right.

So walk me through this now that I know what's happening.

(laughing) - So what you got are the counterweight systems, - Whoa.

- One at each side, going ahead and balancing and lifting the bridge.

Each one is a million pounds each and there's as much as 4 million pounds being lifted, because you have the bridge deck as well, while these counterweights are going down.

- That is so bizarre.

I didn't think we were moving.

I really didn't.

- [Dennis] You didn't feel it, did you?

- [Rob] I thought...

I mean I knew something was moving because I saw the spans of the tower bridge going up in the air, but wow!

We're about 100 feet higher than the street level.

And we are in the air.

- [Dennis] Historically speaking, the engineers and the people that put their heads together to put this in place really got it right.

- Yeah, they did.

I mean they had to connect Sacramento County and Yolo County, and they did it.

Now there was already a bridge here, but there had to be a way that could meet the demand and the need.

- Correct.

Correct.

'Cause you were talking about not only the movement of goods and services on the highway or the actual roads that existed back then, but you also had the waterway that you had to take into account.

And traditionally speaking, the actual waterway took precedent over what we call a highway system now.

And to this day it still does.

(bright guitar music) - I have to ask you, this part that we're on right now, the deck, this is highway 275, just the bridge.

- [Dennis] Yes, that is correct.

Just the bridge.

- The third shortest highway- - One of three possibly the shortest highways in the whole state of California.

- [Rob] That's amazing.

- We have to thank Caltrans who's out here.

We've got supervisors and everything, so thank you for making sure we're okay.

And look at this.

Oh!

- [Dennis] We've got the state capitol.

- That is amazing.

- Capitol Plaza.

- [Rob] Looking right down, there you see the beautiful state capitol and capitol mall.

That is what I've always wanted to see.

We're gonna go up one more level and this is, of course, closed and sealed up, but this is a treat to get up here with you guys today with Caltrans.

And look at that view.

Oh my gosh!

I can't believe this.

- [Dennis] You got your view of Interstate 5, the transition from 50 going over the river from Sacramento County and to Yolo County.

- [Rob] Look, right into Sutter Health Park.

You can see right inside where the River Cats play.

The new Bridge District all along West Sacramento.

You see the Sacramento River here.

And over here you can see the Crocker Art Museum.

This is just fantastic.

And there's the top of the tower bridge.

Oh my gosh.

All right, we're walking out to the, I guess this would be the east tower?

- [Dennis] That is correct.

(upbeat music) - [Rob] So I just have to show these massive links.

The chains, the counterweights.

Dennis, what are those for?

- So they basically act as additional weight for the counterweight system so that as the weights are being lowered, when they're seating the bridge deck, these chains help in making that smooth transition.

That's why you really didn't feel us moving until you looked out and saw things were actually starting to change around us.

- I'm blown away.

I mean, I'm just fascinated.

And I had no idea all of this was here.

- [Dennis] This really is a marvel of how the people from so many generations were able to build something that still works and operates to this day.

And the fact that this was built back in 1935, and is still in great working condition, and that the technology really hasn't changed that much, Shows just how well they built things back then.

- [Rob] And I'm blessed to have seen so much through this program through you, but I've never seen this.

And the views here are just spectacular.

- Absolutely.

- I am forever grateful.

- [Dennis] We're going back.

- I'm truly amazed.

I feel like I'm watching history unfold.

I feel like we just, even though we went up, I feel like we went back in time.

- Try thinking about how this stretch of surface streets and the bridge never existed before, but were in fact just dirt road leading up to the state capitol.

- It's fascinating.

- It's just incredible.

- Absolutely fascinating.

We went up and down on the Tower Bridge.

Thank you so much, Dennis Keaton with Caltrans.

- You're welcome.

- You rock.

- You're welcome, Rob.