Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge Construction Alert - Week of January 4 & January 11, 2021

CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES

Week of January 4 & January 11, 2021

Si prefiere recibir información de construcción en español, llame al (877) 55-SBCTA.

The Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge (MVAB) officially closed to traffic on Tuesday, December 29, 2020. Over the coming weeks, crews will perform daytime and nighttime work on the bridge and within the railyard, to prepare to disassemble the bridge. Preparations include installing shielding below the bridge to protect crews and the railyard below, removing bridge railing, paving within the work area, and sawcutting to remove concrete sections from the roadway surface of the bridge. You may notice construction lighting in use to illuminate the work area at night, equipment noise from construction vehicles and machinery, and truck back-up alarms.

In mid to late-January, crews will begin the careful work of disassembling the bridge, which will take a few months to complete. Reconstruction of the new bridge will begin in 2022 and the new structure is anticipated to open to the public in 2024.

BE IN THE KNOW: To stay up to date on the status of the project, visit gosbcta.com/mtvernonbridge and click "GO" to sign up to receive project updates. Sign up for text messages by texting mtvernonbridge to 31996 (Reply STOP to cancel, text HELP for help. Normal text and data message rates may apply).

DISCLAIMER: Please remember all construction is dynamic and the schedule is weather-permitting and

subject to change.

MOTORIST DETOUR INFORMATION

There is no through access permitted across the bridge, between 2nd Street and 5th Street. Please note, businesses will remain open during construction and access to businesses on Mount Vernon Avenue at 2nd Street and 5th Street, and on Mount Vernon Avenue between W. Kingman Street and 5th Street, will be maintained. Detour information for motorists and pedestrians is provided below.

Digital message boards, detour signs, and arrow boards have been installed along the motorist detour, pictured below.

PEDESTRIAN DETOUR INFORMATION

When the bridge closes, there will be no direct access for motorists, pedestrians, or bicyclists who wish to cross Mount Vernon Avenue between 2nd Street and 5th Street. To support pedestrians, bicyclists, and the disabled with a convenient detour option while the bridge is closed, SBCTA has partnered with Omnitrans to offer a complimentary bus service. Bus stop locations nearest the MVAB are shown on the map below, for Route 1 (2nd Street/Metrolink Way), Route 3/Route 4 (5th Street/Mount Vernon), and Route 14 (5th Street/Mount Vernon Avenue). Pedestrians wishing to access the complimentary service can board the bus at the stops below, and say "bridge detour/desvío del puente" to the bus driver upon boarding for the complimentary fare. Riders will transfer between routes at the Transit Center and continue to Route 1 (2nd Street/Metrolink Way), Route 3/Route 4 or Route 14 (5th Street/Mount Vernon Avenue) to reach the other side of the bridge. For more information about the pedestrian/bicyclist bus detour please contact us at by calling 877-55-SBCTA or email info@goSBCTA.com.

ABOUT THE MOUNT VERNON AVENUE BRIDGE PROJECT

Since opening to the public in 1934, the Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge (MVAB) has been an iconic structure, bridging San Bernardino communities to the north and south and serving as a vital link for residents, visitors, students and businesses. The community, like the bridge, has seen a great deal of change over the past 86 years. Today the bridge is showing its age and is in need of desperate improvement. In the past 15 years, the bridge has been closed to traffic twice for critical repairs and has had temporary supports installed at different locations beginning in 2004. And, although it remains open to passenger cars and people walking and biking across the bridge, buses and trailer trucks are no longer permitted to use it.

To ensure the safety and longevity of the bridge, the City of San Bernardino (City) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have partnered with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) to rebuild the bridge. The bridge will be disassembled and completely rebuilt – a process that will span approximately three years. Improvements at the south end of the bridge will include retaining walls along both sides with 3rd Street closed during construction but opened to traffic permanently after construction is complete. On the north side retaining walls will also be constructed along both sides of the transition between the bridge and W. Kingman Street. Where Mount Vernon Avenue reconnects to W. 2nd Street and W. Kingman Street new curbs and gutters will be installed. Reconstruction of the new bridge will begin in 2022 and the new structure is anticipated to open in 2024.