The new Union Road bridge is on schedule to be completed by December 2024, replacing the aging existing bridge that spans the San Benito River between Cienega Road and San Benito Street. According to San Benito County Public Works Administrator Steve Loupe, the majority of the bridge deck has already been poured, and this week’s primary construction task was to run utilities through the bridge. The $43 million project is mostly funded by the Federal Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program, with the county pitching only about 10 percent of the cost.
The work is headed up by MCM Construction in collaboration with MNS Engineers, the county’s construction management team.
Another goal of the project is to improve the alignment of the bridge with the adjacent roadway to provide a safer roadway curvature, Loupe said. San Benito Street will be reconstructed and extended to meet the new Union Road intersection, and Cienega Road will be realigned and widened.
Traffic is expected to be transferred over to the new bridge by late October, with the existing bridge remaining in use until then, after which it will be torn down. The site will be restored as a riparian habitat.
