Caltrans delays Vallejo’s ‘Six Bridges Project’ by a week

Caltrans is about to embark on a major project in Vallejo that is expected to lead to delays on the streets, and possibly I-80 at times.

The project is called Interstate 80 Six Bridges.

The $23.2 million project will take place over at least the next three years.

It aims to bring overcrossings to current federal standards and make it safer for large cargo to make its way up and down the interstate.

There are six overpasses, or bridges, crossing I-80 in Vallejo.

Caltrans says all the crossings are too low and need to be raised to meet the federal standard of 16” 6’.

“We’ve had incidents in the past where semi‘s have nicked overcrossings.  They have struck these overcrossings. You know, not making major damage, but a little cement there, and here and there,” said Pedro Quintana, Caltrans Spokesperson.

Caltrans says there have been instances where large equipment leaving or destined for Travis Air Force Base had to avoid the section of I-80 in Vallejo due to the low bridges.

The six crossings include Magazine Street, Benicia Road, Georgia Street, Springs Road, Tennessee Street and Redwood Street. All the crossings will be raised, but not at the same time.

Work was scheduled to begin Monday at Springs Road, but that has been pushed back a week.

The crossing, like all the others, is expected to be closed for four months.

“Too much, that’s a lot of time to close that, you know,” said one unidentified driver.

“That’s pretty long, but then all the projects in the Bay area have taken a long time,” said Eric Espinueva of Vallejo.

Drivers will detour around the Springs Road crossing, putting more vehicles on busy neighborhood streets.

Some residents on Humbolt St., one of the detours, say there’s no reason to fret over something they can’t do anything about.

“Gotta do what they gotta do,” said one resident.

The same process of closing a crossing and rerouting traffic will repeat over three years.

There will be times when lanes of I-80 will be reduced or shut down and traffic will be rerouted to Highway 37 and Highway 29.

Caltrans says it’s making every effort to minimize disruptions.

“We’ll definitely have some daytime work but the majority of the work will be happening during the overnight hours,” said Quintana.

Caltrans says it has worked out plans for bus routes and will have a 24-hour shuttle service to help pedestrians get from one side of the interstate to the other.

The project is being paid for in part through the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

The plan is to complete the entire project by fall of 2023