A 53-year-old, one-lane wooden bridge in Lagunitas is the first of half a dozen similar bridges in West Marin slated for replacement by the Marin County Department of Public Works, which received over $15 million in federal highway funds to undertake the projects. The county cites rusting steel supports, creek bank erosion and dangerous railings as reasons for the replacement, which is scheduled to start by 2018.
A meeting to solicit public feedback on the project will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 17 in the Lagunitas School Multipurpose Room.
So far, locals have expressed concerns that the proposed widening of the bridge would tamper with the neighborhood’s rural aesthetic, and that road closures during construction would burden commutes for those living on Corona Avenue and Mountain View Road, which the bridge joins to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.
“They want to widen it so that two cars can cross at the same time,” said Jean Berensmeier, chair of the San Geronimo Valley Planning Group. She supports the replacement, but questions the need to widen the bridge to two lanes. “The problem is that there is no compelling reason to do that. There’s never been an accident on the bridge.”
Another resident, Linda Nave, who said she mostly crosses the bridge on walks, also questioned the need for two lanes. “I think that would be overwhelming for that particular site,” Ms. Nave said. “It’s a whole lot of bridge to put in that spot.”
Built in 1962, the three-span bridge has sat on steel train frames that were junked for road and bridge construction at the time. It incorporates timber deck runners and wooden railings that, according to the county, have begun to deteriorate.
“We have to adhere to the latest safety standards,” R.J. Suokko, a county senior civil engineer, said. “Those are definitely going to guide us [toward widening]. The current width does not meet safety standards.” He said a replacement could incorporate stronger abutments on both banks that would allow the bed to cross the creek in one span rather than in sections. Having fewer supports in the creek, he said, could lessen erosion and improve spawning conditions for salmon in San Geronimo Creek.
Over the course of the year, the county expects to hold public workshops for each of the other bridge projects, including one over Redwood Creek off Muir Woods Road. That $2.1 million project is part of a joint county-federal plan to restore areas around the creek and drastically cut parking along roadways leading to Muir Woods National Monument.
A bridge off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard spanning Olema Creek near Marin Sun Farms will be replaced at a cost of $2.4 million, along with a bridge spanning Nicasio Creek at the intersection of Lucas Valley Road and Nicasio Valley Road, for $3.26 million.