Demolition is mostly done at old Seventh Street Bridge in Modesto. What’s ahead?
Wrecking crews have made steady progress toward the new Seventh Street Bridge in Modesto.
As of Thursday, only about 200 feet of the 1,170-foot old span still stood. That was six weeks into the demolition for the $127 million replacement. To protect Tuolumne River fish, the rest of the work must wait until summer.
The new bridge could be finished by early 2028 by MCM Construction, based near Sacramento. It will double the motor-vehicle lanes to four and enhance access on foot, bike and wheelchair to Tuolumne River Regional Park.
The original bridge opened 1917, in the Beaux Art style of architecture. The concrete protecting the steel trusses did not hold up well, forcing weight and speed limits since the 1930s.
The bridge had four concrete lion statues that came to be beloved. Two of them will be restored for display next to the new bridge at the urging of the Modesto Landmark Preservation Commission.
The display will be in a pedestrian plaza at the north end, with a new path down into the park. The restoration also will include two bridge light posts, three sections of railing and five obelisks (tapered design features).
The subcontractor for this work is the Giampolini Group, based in the East Bay city of Emeryville. It will get $4.36 million to apply its masonry skills.
A Modesto-based subcontractor, Accelerated Concrete Cutting, sawed off the lions, but it took some doing. Their bases had interior masonry that turned out to be much harder than the crumbled surface. The sculptures finally were hoisted onto flatbed trucks for storage nearby.
MCM has an $85.2 million contract, which was approved in December by the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors. The rest of the $127 million includes design, right of way and street improvements at both ends of the bridge.
A federal grant provided about $92 million. The state added $15 million. The county’s Measure L sales tax covered most of the rest.
The demolition so far has involved the floodplain portion of the old bridge. It cannot happen over the main channel until migrating salmon are gone. They return each fall to reproduce and die. The young fish head out to sea in spring.
Drivers have two detour options during the construction. One is on Ninth Street between Pecos Avenue and G Street. The other is on Highway 99 from the Crows Landing Road interchange to G. More details on the project are at 7thstreetbridge.org.
