COSTA MESA : Segerstrom Seeking Bridge Over Bristol

The owners of South Coast Plaza plan to build a bridge across Bristol Street to link the shopping mall to the Town Center office and entertainment complex.

C.J Segerstrom & Sons submitted plans to the city last week in seeking permits for the bridge.

Malcolm Ross, who represented the developer before the City Council, said his firm hopes the bridge will be capable of handling a people-mover--either a moving belt or a monorail car.

No cost figures or construction schedules were immediately available.

A moving belt would also allow room for pedestrians, while a monorail would take up most of the 12-foot width of the bridge, leaving insufficient space for pedestrians, Ross said.

If a proposed central Orange County light-rail system is built, the east or Town Center end of the bridge could become a stop on the six-city route.

“From talking with the designers, they believe (the bridge) would be a ramp . . . you would simply use the bridge as a way to get across the street from the transportation system,” Ross said.

The east landing of the bridge would be between Scott’s Restaurant and the Imperial Bank building and the west landing would be near Sears and Birraporetti’s.

The light-rail system, which may use monorail or cars resembling those used on the Long Beach-Los Angeles Blue Line, is currently envisioned to extend from Irvine through Santa Ana to Fullerton, with a lengthy stretch along Bristol Street.