El Dorado County announces closure of historic Mt. Murphy Bridge after crash in Coloma
The historic Mt. Murphy Bridge in Coloma will remain closed indefinitely after a “reckless driver” crashed and damaged the wood railing, El Dorado County officials announced Monday.
The bridge, which crosses over the South Fork of the American River, is closed to vehicles and pedestrian due to potential structural damage and safety concerns, the El Dorado County Roads Maintenance Divisions announced in Facebook posts.
Mt. Murphy Bridge will remain closed until inspection and repairs are completed. County officials said on Monday they do not know when the inspection and repairs will be completed, but it is estimated that the closure will last at least one month.
There is an alternate route available on Bayne Road, which is a narrow one-lane road, for local residents to get in and out of the nearby Coloma Resort RV park. Maintenance crews on Monday were repairing the wood railing and were expected to continue their work Tuesday.
Other drivers were advised to use Mt. Murphy Road to Marshall Road in Garden Valley to exit the northeast side of the river, according to county advisory posted online. Drivers should expect traffic delays using this detour route.
“Transportation staff is currently working to gather all the information needed to put a restoration plan in place as soon as possible and is currently making minor repairs,” county officials said in the advisory. “We are currently engaging structural engineers to bring specialized inspection equipment that can detect damage not visible to the human eye and anticipate they will be out this week.”
The county will hire a contractor to complete the necessary structural repairs.
County officials said the vehicle crash that damaged the bridge occurred early Sunday. There were no further details about the crash.
Sunday was the second time in three years a vehicle crash on Mt. Murphy Bridge led to significant damage and an indefinite closure. The other crash into one of the main columns of the bridge in September 2021 caused severe structural damage. The bridge was reopened to vehicles and pedestrians nearly two weeks after the 2021 crash.
