Ventura Council Approves Plans for Seismic Retrofitting of 3 Bridges
The City Council approved plans and specifications for a seismic bridge retrofitting project Monday, clearing the way for the city to begin the bidding process to select contractors to do the work.
The city owns all or part of five bridges and is responsible for their maintenance. Four of the bridges have received Caltrans approval to be retrofitted. The Main Street bridge over the Ventura River was retrofitted during a recent repair project.
The city will seismically retrofit three local bridges: the Vista Del Mar bridge, where the street crosses over Seaward Avenue, and two railroad bridges--one over Seaward Avenue and the other over Sanjon Road.
The city allocated $650,000 to retrofit the bridges in its 1997-2002 capital improvements budget.
The improvements to the bridges are not intended to prevent damage during an earthquake. Rather, they are intended to prevent total collapse. The project will strengthen the columns and support walls of the bridges, bolster the abutments and strengthen the bridge footings.
Federal and state funds will cover 73% of the total cost.
The bridge retrofitting project will require the bike lanes on Seaward Avenue and Sanjon Road to be temporarily closed, but traffic lanes will remain open.
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