Accord Lifts Roadblocks to Repairs for Old Bridge

Repairs on the Beverly Boulevard bridge, a major commuter thoroughfare, began Thursday after a disagreement between Los Angeles County officials and the cities of Montebello and Pico Rivera threatened to close the bridge indefinitely.

The construction began two days after county Supervisor Gloria Molina said no work on the bridge would be performed until the cities and county reached a long-term resolution on who would pay.

The next day, Montebello and Pico Rivera agreed to split the $130,000 needed for temporary repairs and to each pay 10% of the long-term construction costs for the bridge, which spans the Rio Hondo and connects the two cities.

The temporary repairs will allow vehicles weighing 16 tons or less to cross the bridge. Construction of permanent improvements, such as widening the bridge, will begin in the fall.

“We’re very happy that we’ve come to a resolution,” said Roxane Marquez, a spokeswoman for Molina. “It’s a relatively major thoroughfare, and we wanted to have this fixed as soon as possible.”

The cities are eligible to receive more than $8 million from the Federal Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program for the project. The total construction is expected to cost about $10.5 million.

“Everybody was trying to protect their own interest,” said Pico Rivera City Manager Dennis Courtemarche. The agreement “gets the bridge started, and hopefully, federal money will come along.”

The cities agreed to pay 10% of the cost if the federal money is forthcoming or, if not, to take funds from other city projects to complete the project.

“It was pretty worrisome this week,” said Montebello City Administrator Richard Torres.

Ken Pellman, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, said an inspection in December found the 53-year-old bridge in need of structural repair.

Courtemarche said a 1999 plan to repair the bridge for $4.5 million was dropped after Montebello officials wanted to add to the project. Courtemarche said more money wasn’t available then.

“I’m glad we’re on our way,” he said. “It has created a lot of chaos.”