CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES
Week of December 7
Si prefiere recibir información de construcción en español, llame al (877) 55-SBCTA.

The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) is pleased to announce the start of construction to replace the Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge (MVAB).

On Monday, December 21, 2020 (subject to change), Mount Vernon Avenue is scheduled to close; there will be no through access permitted across the bridge, between 2nd Street and 5th Street. Please note, businesses will remain open during construction and access to businesses on Mount Vernon Avenue at 2nd Street and 5th Street, and on Mount Vernon Avenue between W. Kingman Street and 5th Street, will be maintained.

Over the next few weeks, crews will prepare for the closure of the Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge (MVAB).
Digital message boards, detour signs, and arrow boards will be installed along the motorist detour route (shown in green on the map below). Work will also be completed to adjust signal timing and roadway striping at key intersections along the detour route, including Mount Vernon Avenue and Rialto Avenue, Rialto Avenue and G Street, H Street and 5th Street, 5th Street and Mount Vernon Avenue, and Mount Vernon Avenue and 2nd Street. Additionally, crews will install fencing and concrete barricades, also known as k-rail, when it comes time to close the bridge to traffic.

When the bridge closes, there will be no direct access for motorists, pedestrians, or bicyclists who wish to cross Mount Vernon Avenue between 2nd Street and 5th Street. To support pedestrians, bicyclists, and the disabled, with a convenient detour option while the bridge is closed, SBCTA has partnered with Omnitrans to offer a complimentary bus service. Bus stop locations nearest the MVAB are shown on the map below, for Route 1 (Mount Vernon and 2nd Street) and Route 14 (Mount Vernon and 5th Street). Pedestrians wishing to access the complimentary service can board the bus at the stops below. Be sure to mention "Detour/Desvío" to the bus driver upon boarding for the special complimentary fare. For more information about the pedestrian/bicyclist bus detour please contact us at by calling 877-55-SBCTA or email info@goSBCTA.com.

Following closure of the bridge, crews will begin the careful work of disassembling the bridge over a period of a few months, into early 2021. Reconstruction of the new bridge will begin in 2022 and the new structure is anticipated to open to the public in 2024.
BE IN THE KNOW: To stay up to date on the status of the project, visit gosbcta.com/mtvernonbridge and click "GO" to sign up to receive project updates. Sign up for text messages by texting mtvernonbridge to 31996 (Reply STOP to cancel, text HELP for help. Normal text and data message rates may apply.)

DISCLAIMER: Please remember all construction is dynamic and the schedule is weather-permitting and
subject to change.
ABOUT THE MOUNT VERNON AVENUE BRIDGE PROJECT
Since opening to the public in 1934, the Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge (MVAB) has been an iconic structure, bridging San Bernardino communities to the north and south and serving as a vital link for residents, visitors, students and businesses. The community, like the bridge, has seen a great deal of change over the past 86 years. Today the bridge is showing its age and is in need of desperate improvement. In the past 15 years, the bridge has been closed to traffic twice for critical repairs and has had temporary supports installed at different locations beginning in 2004. And, although it remains open to passenger cars and people walking and biking across the bridge, buses and trailer trucks are no longer permitted to use it.

To ensure the safety and longevity of the bridge, the City of San Bernardino (City) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have partnered with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) to rebuild the bridge. The bridge will be disassembled and completely rebuilt – a process that will span approximately three years. Improvements at the south end of the bridge will include retaining walls along both sides with 3rd Street closed during construction but opened to traffic permanently after construction is complete. On the north side retaining walls will also be constructed along both sides of the transition between the bridge and W. Kingman Street. Where Mount Vernon Avenue reconnects to W. 2nd Street and W. Kingman Street new curbs and gutters will be installed. Reconstruction of the new bridge will begin in 2022 and the new structure is anticipated to open in 2024.