The rehabilitation and a retrofit of the Healdsburg Memorial Bridge, originally scheduled to begin last month, is not expected to start for another year.
Healdsburg City Council members were given an update Monday on the $12 million project, which was delayed longer than anticipated by a federal environmental review.
Work on the 92-year-old span over the Russian River, which will shut down vehicle access across it for a year or a little longer, is now expected to start in June 2014.
"I'm glad it's still on track. I apologize to anyone for the delay," said City Councilman Gary Plass. "All projects have delay; as long as it's getting done."
"I'm happy to see it going forward. I thought it would be this summer. You have to take the time to do it right,"" said Councilman Shaun McCaffery.
If anything, the delay may have provided a reprieve for bicyclists, as well as pedestrians, who consider the iconic span a critical link over the river at the southern edge of town.
Still unknown is how they will cross the river during construction. Motorists have a convenient alternative — Highway 101, less than a mile downstream.
But cyclists potentially have no other choice for crossing, other than riding 10 miles out Westside Road, to Wohler Bridge, near Forestville.
"To have that out of commission 13 to 14 months will be a severe inconvenience to a lot of folks," Councilman Tom Chambers said Monday.
City officials were rebuffed in their attempts to use the old upstream railroad bridge as an alternate for bikes and pedestrians.
Northwestern Pacific Railroad Co., which two years ago began operating cargo trains in Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties after a 10-year hiatus, was opposed, citing plans to resume freight service to Healdsburg.
A potential solution is to provide a covered or enclosed walkway across the Healdsburg Memorial Bridge that pedestrians and cyclist could use during construction. But the practicality and costs involved are uncertain. The other possibility is a shuttle service, although it's been unpopular with cyclists who have addressed the City Council.
The council on Monday decided to ask contractors on the project to provide alternative bids for both the covered walkway and shuttle options and a decision will be made later.
Although the federal environmental review for the project is now complete, state environmental clearance is also needed.
The $12 million rehabilitation and retrofit involves bolstering the rusting structure to withstand earthquakes, flooding and erosion. It includes sandblasting and painting, repairing damaged structural members, installing a new deck and making railing safety improvements.
Nearly 90 percent of the funding comes from federal programs, with the city paying about $1.4 million for its share.
Council members also agreed on some other aspects of the work Monday, including installation of a new light weight concrete deck, as well as including some empty utility casings that will allow for extension of utilities across the river for future development.
The council also agreed that for pedestrian safety, horizontal cables should be used above the lattice railing, rather than unconventional, plexiglass panels, which could further delay approval.
The bridge was completed in 1921 and became part of the Old Redwood Highway. It was superseded by the more modern freeway bridge to the west.
Preservationists rallied periodically to keep the vintage, steel-truss structure from being torn down, especially after it was given a poor rating in 1979 by Caltrans.
But five years ago, engineers acknowledged that rating was based on faulty calculations and determined the bridge can carry all legal loads.
In 2011, the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places, validating the efforts of residents who helped save it.
You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 521-5214 or clark.mason@pressdemocrat.com
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