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Albion River Bridge

Project Details

This project is evaluating rehabilitating or replacing the Albion River Bridge on Route 1 in Mendocino County near the town of Albion.

This project is needed because the bridge is narrow, it does not meet current standards for shoulders and guardrails, and maintenance costs are high.

For more information, contact:

Project Manager
Frank Demling
(707) 445-6554, TTY 711

Public Information (Media Inquiries)
Bonnie Kuhn
(707) 441-4678, TTY 711

Bridge History

The Albion River Bridge has been placed in the National Register of Historic Places and in the California Register of Historic Places. Placement on the National Register affords a property the honor of inclusion in the nation's official list of cultural resources.

The 969-foot long, 26-foot wide Albion River Bridge was constructed in 1944. To conserve materials (concrete and steel) during World War II, the proposed concrete arch structure design was abandoned and the bridge was redesigned using timber and a single-span riveted steel deck truss that was recycled from an old bridge once located on the South Fork of the Feather River. The concrete towers at each side of the river and the footings of the timber towers are reinforced with salvaged railroad rails.

Current Proposal

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) proposes to replace or rehabilitate the Albion River Bridge on State Route (SR) 1 in Mendocino County from postmile (PM) 43.3 to 44.2. Figure 1 shows the Albion River Bridge Replacement/Rehabilitation Project location and vicinity. The project is included in the 2016 State Highway Operation and Protection Program and is funded in the Bridge Replacement Program. Construction is currently scheduled for the 2020/2021 fiscal year.

Purpose and Need

The purpose of this project is to improve the function, the geometrics and the seismic and structural integrity of the Albion River Bridge and approach roadway to ensure uninterrupted traffic movement in the event of a collision or emergency incident, seismic event or other catastrophic failure, and to provide safe access for pedestrians and bicyclists across the bridge. These deficiencies also create high ongoing bridge maintenance costs.

Project Schedule

  • Target dates subject to change
  • Circulate Draft Environmental Document - December 2019
  • Final Environmental Document - December 2020
  • Out to bid - May 2022
  • Award contract - August 2022
  • Begin construction - Spring 2023
  • Project completion - Fall 2026
  • How Caltrans Builds Projects - September 2011 (PDF)

Replacement Alternatives

Images are early concepts for visualization only.

Example Arch

Example Arch
Example Box Girder

Example Box Girder

 

Alternative 1A

4-span spandrel arch type or an 11-span spandrel arch type, built to the west.

Alternative 1B

4-span haunched cast in place (CIP) box girder or a 4-span haunched CIP segmental box girder, built to the west.

Alternative 2

3-span haunched CIP box girder or a 3-span haunched CIP segmental box girder, built to the east.

Alternative 3A

Staged 4-span CIP box girder, built slightly to the west.

Alternative 3B

Staged 4-span arch type, built slightly to the west.

Rehabilitation Alternatives

Alternative 4

This alternative would rehabilitate the bridge at existing width while upgrading the rails to meet current standards.

Alternative 5

This alternative retains the existing wooden structure with widening on both sides to provide 6' or 8' shoulders and upgraded rail. New timber truss sections would be constructed alongside the existing truss sections. It is assumed that footings for the new trusses would be founded on class 140 piles. There would be 32 footings, 1 bent, and 2 abutments on each side of the bridge.

Alternative 5.5

This alternative was submitted by Steve Heckeroth on behalf of the Albion Community Advisory Board proposing to "rehabilitate the existing bridge for use by northbound traffic and pedestrians and construct new box girder bridge west of existing bridge for use by southbound traffic and pedestrians."

Alternative 6

This alternative would rehabilitate the existing bridge and retain it as a pedestrian bridge. Because this alternative would not allow for passage by motorized vehicles, it would only be feasible in combination with Alternative 1a, 1b or 2.Pedestrian railing would be constructed in place of the tubular railing discussed in the other alternatives.

Notice of Preparation

Hazardous Waste

Caltrans and their consultants have conducted two investigations at the bridge site. The first, completed in June 2014, termed a "Bridge Survey," determined the concentration of wood preservative constituents in the structural members of the bridge for waste classification, the level of lead present in the bridge rail paint system, and if asbestos containing materials were present. This "survey" investigation provided a group of "constituents of concern" (COCs) used to direct the follow up investigation. The second investigation, termed a "Preliminary Site Investigation" (PSI), completed in December 2014, focused on determining if a release of any COCs had occurred in the immediate vicinity of the bridge. All investigations to date have occurred within the 100-foot wide State Highway Right of Way at the bridge site.

Right of Way and Land Net Information

Other Project Information and Documents