Santa Maria River Bridge Replacement Project

proposed

Caltrans proposes to replace the Santa Maria River Bridge on State Route 1 at the border of San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County, just north of the City of Guadalupe. The existing Santa Maria River Bridge has potential for critical scour issues and has a history of alkali-silica reactivity in the concrete, both of which can compromise the structural integrity of the bridge if left as is. The roadway geometry on the bridge deck also no longer meets current Caltrans standards. Replacing the Santa Maria River Bridge is required to address the multiple concerns found on the existing structure. A new bridge structure will be built and will be located right next to the existing bridge. The existing bridge will be removed after construction of the new bridge structure is complete. State Route 1 will remain open to traffic during project construction, and temporary traffic control will be implemented during construction. The new bridge structure would be designed to meet current Caltrans standards that includes, but not limited to: highway design, seismic, safety and hydraulic standards. The project will also involve roadway realignment, vegetation replanting, and utility relocations.