Pedestrian railing, traffic signal, historic lighting to be installed over next two months
A few minutes after 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 28, Memorial Bridge opened again for car and truck traffic. A $12 million renovation project years in the making is almost complete.
The bridge was closed to traffic for almost 14 months, although pedestrians and bicyclists had regular access to walkways along the side while the work took place.
The traffic lanes, now a full 10 feet each, are open and traffic is finding the bridge again.
The second day it was open, reports of speeding prompted the Healdsburg Police Department to set up its radar trailer to remind motorists to drive slowly across the narrow span.
At Monday’s Healdsburg City Council meeting, Healdsburg Senior Engineer Mario Landeros reported that the bridge is functioning well and that a preliminary Caltrans inspection report rates the 86-year-old span as “like new condition.”
“We’re now in the home stretch of the project,” said Landeros.
A pedestrian railing should be fully installed by the end of this month, a traffic signal and historic replica light fixtures will be installed by mid-December and paint touch-up and other final items should be complete by the end of January.
Healdsburg City Manager David Mickaelian said that a dedication and ribbon-cutting event will take place this spring.
