A bridge built over a key waterway in Stockton is planned to be replaced with a newer, sturdier one.
Built in 1972, The I-5 highway bridge provides access across the Stockton channel to more than 130,000 vehicles every day, according to Caltrans.
Caltrans has received numerous complaints about the bridge’s age. As per their website, a project study in through a study between 2012 and 2015, which found the bridge’s structural integrity to be waning.
The project will take place on the I-5, starting just south of the Highway 4 Crosstown Freeway near Church Street and extending north to Carlton Avenue.
Currently, the bridge is experiencing structural deficiencies relating to the concrete deck, which requires ongoing maintenance.
“We have been experiencing a lot of stress on the superstructure. So you will see probably a lot of cracks happening in the pavement itself,” said El-Nakhal, Caltrans project manager.
As a result, the bridge is rated at P5 by Caltrans, meaning no vehicle with a heavier payload rated P13 may cross, forcing certain vehicles to go around another way.
El-Nakhal said Caltrans had thought of trying to replace just the deck, but found it smartest to simply reconstruct the entire section.
“The only way to ensure that this bridge kind of continues is to completely replace the whole bridge,” she said.
The original concept included the using a mix of steel and concrete. This time, Caltrans says the bridge will be 100% concrete.
The route across the channel serves as a vital business route for those hauling commercial goods and agricultural products to and from the Port of Stockton, the state’s largest inland port.
While the project is still in its early planning stage, the total cost is expected to be about $1 billion, the largest construction project ever in California’s district 10, according to their website.
The Stockton Chamber of Commerce’s Green Team San Joaquin is collaborating with Caltrans to involve businesses in the project. The group’s mission is to promote sustainable businesses practices.
Another issue addressed, although unrelated to the bridge, is the nearby Pershing Avenue off ramp.
Caltrans says locals with homes near the exit voiced concerns about speeding traffic near their house and urged Caltrans to take action. Now they are incorporating the ramp into this plan.
“One way to sort of manage that was to try to move the traffic away from landing and immediately in front of some people’s driveways,” El-Nakhal said.
After considering designs for a traffic light or stop sign, they settled on a roundabout.
“In studying the most appropriate way to treat the termini, the roundabout actually seemed the most efficient in terms of cost,” El-Nakhal said.
Officials encourage those to use the Caltrans Quickmap app, which shows live warnings for road closures.
The next project meeting will take place on July 8 at the Haggin Museum.
The project is currently scheduled to be completed by 2031, with construction starting as soon as 2027, when the southbound bridge demolition is projected to start.
“This historic endeavor in the Central Valley underscores Caltrans’ critical role in helping drive
California’s vibrant economy through the safe and efficient movement of people and goods
across a region rich with human capital and agricultural bounty,” said Tony Tavares, Caltrans
director.
In 2015, a project study report found the I-5 viaduct structurally deficient and requires
continuous bridge repair stemming from concrete and soil damage.
As a result, the bridge is rated at P5 by Caltrans, meaning no vehicle with a heavier payload rated P13 may cross, forcing certain vehicles to go around another way.
The plan also includes improving the northbound off-ramp exit on Pershing Avenue.
Usually, drivers must merge into traffic right as they exit the freeway. Instead, a proposed round about can smooth out that transition as drivers coming up Pershing meet W Flora Street.
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