La Fonda Avenue bridge coming down soon

The La Fonda Avenue bridge is slated for demolition as part of the auxiliary lane project on Highway 1. (Photos by Tarmo Hannula/Register-Pajaronian)

SANTA CRUZ — As the Highway 1 widening project moves forward, commuters can look forward to the demolition and removal of the La Fonda Avenue bridge, a phase of the process that will require the overnight closure of the highway but is expected to be completed by the next morning.

The La Fonda Avenue bridge crosses Highway 1 and sits between the Morrissey Boulevard and Soquel Drive exits in Santa Cruz.

“We will shut the highway down overnight and literally drop the bridge,” said Bob Purdy, operations support manager for RGW Construction, the Livermore-based company doing the work. “By morning the bridge will be gone.”

The demolition work will leave the bridge’s column and abutments, which will be taken down over the following nights.

Then, with a layer of dirt placed on the highway to cushion the blow of falling concrete, workers will use a hydraulic hammer mounted on an excavator to cut the bridge into pieces, Purdy said.

The pieces and dirt will be cleaned up and hauled away before the morning commute begins, he said.

It is still unclear when the demolition work will begin, but Purdy said it could be as soon as mid-July and as late as Sept. 1.

Purdy said that city officials want the work to be done before schools start back up in the fall, and want the impact on summer traffic minimized.

During the construction of the bridge, which is expected to take about 8 months, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission will work with neighboring schools to provide a shuttle service for students whose commute will be affected by the 8-month construction project.



For the complete article see the 06-21-2012 issue.

Click here to purchase an electronic version of the 06-21-2012 paper.

Share on Facebook