Rehab for Main Street Bridge starts

“It will basically look the same, but function better,” said Public Works Director John Doughty.

Caltrans has awarded the city $2.2 million to move forward with the first phase of the project, which also includes preliminary engineering work and environmental review, Doughty said.

That initial phase should take about two years, Doughty said, with the final design ready to go out to bid by October 2021. He hopes construction will be underway in 2022 and that phase of work will last about 12 to 15 months.

But these are just estimates, Doughty stressed. Numerous federal and local agencies will be involved in the project, permits will have to be obtained from many of them and weather will also play a big role in the timeline of the project.

Doughty added that a temporary dam may have to be constructed upstream from the bridge during construction and the National Marine Fishery may impose additional protections for steelhead trout that live in Pilarcitos Creek, to name a couple of other potential hurdles.

“There are a lot of moving parts and a lot of people and agencies and we have no control over their schedule and how many issues and concerns they might have,” Doughty said.

Construction work entails repairing the existing spandrel wall, wing walls and concrete arch, rehabbing the cantilevered sidewalks and railings on both sides of the bridge to meet current ADA requirements and modifying the northern approach to the bridge, according to a staff report.

The road and walkways will still be about the same width, though additional handrails may be installed. Bicyclists will still have to share the road with cars or walk their bikes across the bridge.

The entire project is expected to cost $8.5 million, with $7.5 million in federal funding.

Doughty said a structural assessment completed three years ago concluded that the bridge is “very solid and still in good shape” and that weight limits are not necessary.

“Our consultant wasn’t concerned about the structural integrity of the bridge, but it didn’t respond to how the bridge would function in a major seismic event and that’s what the city and Caltrans is worried about,” he said.

During construction, Doughty said the objective is to maintain one lane of traffic on the bridge at all times.

At one point, the city planned to tear down the Main Street Bridge and build a new one, but those plans were scuttled after community pushback. In response, Half Moon Bay voters passed a measure requiring a vote of the people to make any significant changes to the historic bridge. The rehab project underway did not require a vote because it will not alter the appearance or character of the bridge.

Doughty said his team is working closely with the Main Street Advisory Committee to ensure the character of the bridge is preserved and to keep the community up to date.

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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