Placer bridge replacement projects on track for summer 2019

Published on January 8, 2019 

Placer County started the new year with major infrastructure approvals, including a $45 million project to replace the aging and often-flooded Walerga Road bridge west of Roseville this summer.

The county plans to complete more than $60 million of bridge work this summer countywide. This includes the proposed replacement of the bridge on Gold Hill Road at Auburn Ravine as well as projects on Walerga Road, Dowd Road and Bowman Road.

“Updating our county infrastructure is critical to our communities’ safety and quality of life,” said Ken Grehm, director of the Placer County Department of Public Works. “By securing federal funding to pay for the majority of the work, we’re pleased to  ensure a safe and mobile Placer County while making the most efficient use of our taxpayer dollars.”

The total cost of the Walerga bridge replacement is estimated to be $45.8 million. More than $36 million of federal funds are committed to the project with the rest coming from a combination of county traffic mitigation fees, utility owner contributions and other local funds.

The bridge, a narrow, two-lane roadway over Dry Creek, was built in 1973 and regularly floods. The bridge has inadequate road space and the approaches do not meet current flood protection standards. The new bridge will be bigger, longer and 12 feet higher, reducing flood-related closures. A new bridge is also needed to meet the anticipated needs of the community due to continuing development and increasing traffic volumes in the area.

The board today also approved construction management contracts for two smaller bridge replacement projects: the Bowman Road at Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Rehabilitation Project in North Auburn for $916,815; and the Markham Ravine Bridge Replacement Project in Lincoln for $525,872. These projects will also receive funding from the Federal Highway Bridge Program. The proposed $2.9 million replacement of the Gold Hill Road bridge over Auburn Ravine was approved in November 2018.

The Federal Highway Bridge Program is a safety program that provides federal aid to local agencies to replace and rehabilitate deficient locally-owned public highway bridges. The program is funded by the Federal Highway Administration.