Project Update
Construction work has started for the bridge replacement project inside Sunol Ohlone Regional Wilderness Park. The SFPUC’s contractor, Gordon N. Ball, Inc., will be constructing a new bridge to replace the existing unreliable Geary Road Bridge with a new concrete and steel bridge. Due to construction activities and safety concerns, the area will be closed to the public Monday through Friday from May 1 through December 31, 2013. The area will be open to park users on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. For more information about this work, please visit our Sunol Valley Blog
Once complete in December 2013, the new bridge will be able to accommodate all new truck and pedestrian traffic in order to protect the health of Alameda Creek at this location. The area will be restored after construction.
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| The existing Geary Road Bridge that will be replaced. |
Project Background
Working closely with the East Bay Regional Park District, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission will replace the existing unreliable wooden Geary Road Bridge with a new concrete and steel bridge. The load capacity of the existing bridge is 10 tons, which precludes heavy vehicles such as fire trucks, construction equipment, and livestock trailers from using the bridge. When stream flow conditions allow, heavy vehicles currently cross the creek at a low-water crossing near the existing bridge. The new bridge will accommodate a 63-ton load, result in improved bridge reliability and safety, and eliminate the need for vehicles driving through Alameda Creek at the low-water crossing. The new bridge is of a similar scale to the existing bridge, and would include a single lane spanning approximately 150 feet over Alameda Creek.
Construction of the project will include installation of a temporary creek crossing; removal of the existing bridge; constructing the new bridge with abutments and piers; replacing access roads and culverts; and performing site restoration and native habitat enhancement.
The project is located at the end of Geary Road, where it crosses Alameda Creek and connects to Camp Ohlone Road in the Sunol Regional Wilderness area. This project is approximately 6 miles south of the intersection of Calaveras Road and Interstate 680, and approximately 3 miles south of the intersection of Calaveras Road and Geary Road. Vehicle access to the bridge is controlled by locked gates.