Nearly century-old Sacramento County bridge to be torn down and rebuilt
A nearly 100-year-old bridge in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta will close for at least seven months as crews demolish and rebuild the structure over Grizzly Slough, according to the Sacramento County Department of Transportation.
A section of New Hope Road near Mokelumne City will close beginning Friday through at least Nov. 30 for the $4.5 million project, which includes bridge reconstruction, roadway grading and paving within 400 feet of the bridge, as well as installation of rock slope protection, embankments and shoulder improvements, the county said in a news release. The road will be closed between Orr Road and West New Hope Road, though area residents will still have local access.
The two-lane bridge, which is six miles west of Galt, will be widened to accommodate two bike lanes, Robinson said.
During the closure, posted signs will direct motorists traveling east and west to detours using surrounding streets, including Franklin Boulevard, Twin Cities Road and Christensen Road. The Franklin Bridge, which had been closed since May 2025 for construction, reopened earlier this week to accommodate the detours, Robinson said.
A few years ago, Caltrans inspectors determined the New Hope Road bridge would need repair or replacement to handle current traffic demands, which are significantly higher than when the crossing was built in 1931, county spokesperson Matt Robinson said. The county had performed ongoing maintenance, including installing new support beams and reinforcing existing ones but determined it would be safer and more cost-effective to rebuild the bridge.
The main feature that will change is the wooden piling supports beneath the bridge, which will be replaced with concrete.
“After a while, the water started to eat away at the wood, so that’s why we want to put in a concrete bridge,” Robinson said. “We want to make sure that it’s stronger.”
The $4.5 million project is funded through the Federal Highway Bridge Program and the county’s road fund. The project was approved in March, Robinson said.
