Salmon Creek Bridge Replacement

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) proposes to replace the Salmon Creek Bridge on Route 1 in Mendocino County. The current bridge, built in 1950, has a concrete deck over steel beams. The bridge is functionally obsolete because it is narrow and does not meet current standards for shoulders and guardrails. Maintenance costs are high because the steel beams must be repainted regularly.

Project Purpose & Need

The proposed Salmon Creek Bridge Replacement project would replace the existing functionally obsolete and structurally deficient bridge with a structure that would ensure the safety and reliability of this critical link on State Route 1 of the state highway system. The Project's purpose includes improving the structural and geometric deficiencies of the bridge and approach roadways to ensure uninterrupted traffic movements in the event of an accident, seismic event, or other catastrophic failure and reduce ongoing maintenance costs; provide wider shoulders for bicyclists and for motorists experiencing breakdowns and providing safe bicycle and pedestrian movement across Salmon Creek.

The Salmon Creek Bridge and approach roadways have structural and geometric deficiencies. These deficiencies can result in interrupted traffic in the event of an accident, seismic event, or other catastrophic failure. These deficiencies also create high ongoing bridge maintenance costs. Additionally, the bridge only has one-foot shoulders, which are unsafe for bicyclists and motorists experiencing vehicle breakdowns. Finally, the existing bridge does not have a dedicated pedestrian or bicycle pathway.