Demolition begins on Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge in San Bernardino

The razing of the historic but closed Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge in San Bernardino, California, began a few weeks ago.

Though it’s not on Route 66, many travelers heading to and from the Mother Road undoubtedly used the railroad viaduct over the decades. The span lies immediately south where Route 66 turns west onto West Fifth Street.

KCAL-TV in Los Angeles reported the nearly 90-year-old bridge had been closed twice in recent years due to critical repairs. Big trucks and buses were discouraged from using it despite temporary supports being placed there about 15 years ago.

The bridge was closed to all traffic in December. The new, $230 million bridge won’t open until 2024.

Here’s a brief video from last month of the demo work:

According to Bridgehunter.com, the more than 1,000-foot-long bridge was rated in a 2018 inspection as “poor” in overall condition, superstructure, substructure and deck condition. It graded only 20 out of 100 in its sufficiency rating.

Though the bridge was built in 1934, a roadway has existed there since 1918.

Here’s what the new bridge, constructed by Traylor Bros. Inc., will look like when it’s finished:

There’s no true replacing of a historic span, but it appears the new one at least contains a few retro-looking elements.

Traylor Bros. explains why the project is so costly:

Replacing the bridge will be extremely challenging because the bridge spans over 20 railroad tracks, including five passenger rail tracks servicing the San Bernardino Station (three Metrolink train lines, plus Amtrak), three transcontinental freight tracks out of the LA/Long Beach Port complex, six storage tracks and six intermodal yard tracks.
The scope of work includes demolishing the Mount Vernon Avenue Viaduct; preparing the site for BNSF Railway and other construction prior to shoofly completion, without impacting the railroads; and constructing a replacement structure. The new structure will be twice as wide (80-feet) and utilize drilled shaft foundations, T-Wall approach walls, cast-in-place substructure, Caltrans precast girders, partial depth precast deck panels, and a cast-in-place deck.

(Hat tip to Dennis Toeppen; an image of the Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge demolition via San Bernardino County Transportation Authority; artist’s rendering of the new Mount Vernon Avenue Bridge via Traylor Bros. Inc.)