The San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved a $1.5
million contract with a Sacramento construction company Tuesday to
build a new Southside Road bridge.
The San Benito County Board of Supervisors approved a $1.5 million contract with a Sacramento construction company Tuesday to build a new Southside Road bridge.
With a unanimous vote, the Board approved the final step in the overall $2.4 million bridge replacement project.
The new bridge is needed because motorists traveling that particular route during flooding events are limited by the single-lane truss bridge and a low-water crossing.
The new bridge will be two lanes and 350-feet long and 32-feet wide with 4-foot-wide shoulders.
The bridge will be constructed northeast of the existing bridge. Also, the Thomas Road intersection will be moved north by 30 feet to 40 feet beyond the new alignment.
Another difference between the old bridge and the new one is location.
“The new bridge is going to be upstream of the existing bridge,” said Arman Nazemi, assistant director of public works. “The north end of the bridge will be 10 to 20 feet from the north end of the existing bridge.”
The southern edge of the new bridge will be located a little further upstream from the current bridge fro what officials said would create a better alignment with the roadway.
“It will enhance access ability to southerly properties of the Tres Pinos Creek,” Nazemi said.
So far, the county has paid $600,000 for preliminary engineering costs, design of the bridge and environmental studies.
Nazemi said 80 percent of the project was funded by the Federal Highway Administration’s Bridge Replacement Program. The remaining 20 percent will come from reimbursements in federal transportation funding.
Public works said construction should begin by about July 18 and last 150 days. When the new bridge is completed, the old bridge will be demolished and removed from the site. In the meantime, traffic will remain open on the existing bridge.
“We are glad that it finally went through,” Nazemi said. “We had a lot of hurdles to jump with Caltrans and other governing agencies.”
