Troubled Bridge

The Encinas Creek Bridge will soon be demolished and replaced. Built in 1913, the 120-foot bridge is located on Carlsbad Boulevard, south of Palomar Airport Road. The bridge has been a concern for the City and residents since receiving a poor safety rating from inspectors late in 2007.

City officials have stated that the bridge has been classified as structurally deficient by Caltrans. A staff report reads: “The replacement of the bridge is necessary to protect public safety, and thus completion of the project in its entirety will result in an improvement to public access.”

Construction is expected to run from January 25 to May 28, 2010. During that time, the southbound lane on Carlsbad Boulevard will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians, and traffic will be diverted east to Avenida Encinas.

The new concrete bridge, built to current safety and seismic standards, will include two lanes for vehicle traffic, a bicycle lane, shoulders, and aluminum safety rails on each side. The project will also require a rebuilding and extension of both north and south embankments (“revetment”) to protect the roadway from damage due to high tides and storms.

Money from the City’s “planned local drainage area” fund and the South Carlsbad Coastal Redevelopment Area fund will be used to cover the construction cost of $2.6 million.