$2.4-Million Bridge Repair Project OKd

The buckled Main Street Bridge is expected to get a face lift this summer after the City Council approved a $2.4-million restoration project Monday night.

The repairs are scheduled to begin in early August, 19 months after flood waters collapsed one lane of the concrete overpass by six feet.

The bridge is situated half a mile from where the Ventura River empties into the Pacific Ocean and is considered seismically unsound as a result of last year’s floods.

The broken section has been fenced off to the public while city engineers have spent more than a year applying for numerous permits that are required before repairs can begin.

During that time, a consultant hired by the city estimated that it would cost $1.4 million to repair the bridge. The lowest bid from a contractor came in at $1.8 million, however, about 30% higher than the estimate.

The $2.4-million price tag was inflated as a result of environmental concerns that require the repairs to occur between the mating seasons of an endangered bird and a threatened fish.

City officials hope to recover the repair cost through federal disaster assistance funds. In the meantime, the project will be paid for out of the city’s gas tax fund.