Quake-damaged bridge reopens in Napa County
NAPA COUNTY, Calif. (KTVU) - Napa County officials and residents on Thursday cut the ribbon on the brand new Oakville Cross Road Bridge. The old bridge was demolished after sustaining damage from a 4.1 magnitude earthquake centered near Yountville last May.
Replaced in just eight months, officials hailed the swift work on the $7 million project.
"We heard loud and clear from the business community about the impact [the bridge closure] was having on their businesses, so when we talk about a year, that is light speed in government terms," Chairman of the Napa County Board of Supervisors Alfredo Pedroza said.
The project was primarily funded with money from the Federal Highway Administration. Democratic congressman Mike Thompson, who represents the district and helped secure the funding, said, “As the old saying goes, anybody who says you can't fix a problem by throwing money at it, is talking about somebody else's problem. This was a problem that needed to have money thrown at it."
Silver Oak Winery was among the businesses that lost revenue during the bridge closure. Ian Leggat, the winery’s director of marketing, said the bridge’s reopening couldn’t have come at a better time.
“We're really excited about the timing because we have our next major release event coming up on the Saturday before the Super Bowl. A lot of people coming from different directions."