ALBION, Calif. — Sometimes, a bridge is more than a way to get from here to there.

In this ruggedly beautiful town overlooking the Pacific Ocean, residents want to save the Albion River Bridge because they say it defines them. But state officials say the bridge — the last wooden bridge on California’s coastal highway — is too narrow, is too expensive to maintain and would be too vulnerable in a major earthquake. They want to replace it with an arched concrete structure, but a vocal group of residents objects.

“It’s the soul of Albion,” said Dan Clary, 64, whose house sits a few yards from the bridge. “It’s what we are.”

Susan Waterfall, 70, a part-time resident of Albion who with her husband organized the local music festival, agreed. “The bridge is an extension of our eccentricity,” she said.

At 71, the bridge is about the same age as its leading supporters (and opponents). They remain highly functional and do not see why, with funds and repairs, the bridge cannot be the same way.