The Murray Street Bridge in Santa Cruz County has closed its westbound lane for a significant seismic retrofit, with full closures expected intermittently over the next two years. This project, designed to strengthen the bridge against earthquakes, involves the addition of pilings and a new deck. The bridge is a key route for residents and visitors, and the city aims to manage traffic flow by keeping the eastbound lane open. Local traffic is likely to experience delays, detours, and increased congestion until at least 2028 due to this essential infrastructure work.
"The fact of the matter is there are a few east-west travel ways in the county, and we're blocking one of them for a period of time," port engineer Mike Hopper told SFGATE. "This is a complicated project. They're working over water, and the safety for work crews and the public was deemed necessary to close the bridge."
The city said it decided to close only westbound traffic on the bridge for a few reasons. The eastbound flow of traffic is greater, particularly in the afternoon, and there is more room for traffic to stack up coming from the east near Seabright Avenue.
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