Caltrans to Raze Half-Finished Bridge That Residents Opposed

For the first time ever, Caltrans officials have agreed to demolish a half-finished project that had sparked furious community opposition.

At the request of the Santa Ana school board, the state Department of Transportation this week agreed to dismantle the half-finished pedestrian bridge over the Santa Ana Freeway, spending $60,000 to undo $600,000 worth of work.

Hundreds of residents on the well-manicured northeast side of the bridge had aggressively opposed the project in recent months, fearing that the bridge would be a conduit for criminals who live on the west side to cross over onto their placid streets. The bridge was supposed to replace a pedestrian tunnel that closed last year while the freeway was widened.

Because the children who would have used the bridge to get to school on the northeast side of the freeway now will have to take the bus, the school district may have to come up with an estimated $80,000 a year for busing.