Caltrans Opens Route 12 at Hooker Creek near Agua Caliente in Sonoma County, Competing Bridge Replacement
Highway opens five days early after 25-day closure
SONOMA COUNTY- At 3:00 PM today, September 30, 2023, Caltrans reopened State Route 12 at Hooker Creek near Agua Caliente in Sonoma County five days ahead of schedule after construction crews completed a new bridge spanning the creek.
Caltrans closed Route 12 on September 5, 2023, to allow work crews to demolish the existing Hooker Creek Bridge, a concrete arch bridge built in 1900, and replace it with a modern steel bridge. During the closure, which was scheduled for 30 days, Caltrans detoured traffic onto county roads, bypassing the construction project.
The replacement of the Hooker Creek Bridge is part of the $24 million Sonoma Creek and Hooker Creek Bridge Replacement Project on State Route 12 near Kenwood and Agua Caliente. The project is scheduled for completion in January 2025. Future traffic impacts, however, will be comparatively light as both bridges have been rebuilt and opened to traffic.
During the closure of the Hooker Creek Bridge, Caltrans detoured
traffic onto Madrone Road, Arnold Drive, and Aqua Caliente Road (See Map).
Bridge Scour
Caltrans replaced the Sonoma and Hooker Creek bridges due to problems associated with scour, a process where fast-flowing water whirlpools around the bridge columns and footings, eroding the creek bed that supports the bridge. Over the years, the bridge’s structural integrity can be strained to the point where replacing the bridge is the best solution.
For more information, go to the project website: https://bityl.co/IFbZ