A bridge replacement project along a busy road in Redding is expected to be completed in early 2027 — more than two years after the estimated original completion date.
The Eastside Road Over Olney Creek Bridge Project was launched in May 2023 as the city announced it had contracted with Abacus Construction Inc. to do the $3,703,673 project.
Work would include removing the existing bridge and replacing it with a new bridge, installing retaining walls, sidewalks, curb and gutter, and storm drain pollution control.
“Project construction is scheduled to begin May 10, 2023, and be completed in December 2024,” Redding’s public works department announced in a news release.
But the project has encountered delays, some caused by unexpected issues, said Nick Visconti, construction manager in the city’s public works department.
“Some of the project delays have been attributed to difficulty in obtaining materials due to longer than normal lead times, encountering unanticipated contaminated soils, preparing remediation and removal plans and completing the work and contractual and permit issues related to working in proximity to the railroad,” Visconti said in an email to the Record Searchlight.
Redding Mayor Mike Littau said the city is aware of the concerns about why the project is taking so long to complete.
“… We appreciate the contractor(‘s) willingness to work with us and find ways to get this to the finish line,” Littau said in a text message to the Record Searchlight.
Most of the work is being done during weekdays, which has caused traffic delays along that stretch of Eastside Road, just south of the Highway 273-South Bonnyview Road intersection.
Traffic has been reduced to one lane in the area, and vehicles traveling north and south are piloted via temporary traffic signals.
Cost of the project has gone up by approximately $1,141,000 because of “contract change orders” that include environmental delays, contaminated soils cleanup, railroad flagging, and traffic control modifications, Visconti said.
“The city anticipates all eligible construction costs to be funded through Caltrans with a federal grant share of 88.3% and city share of 11.7%,” he added.
Visconti said Abacus Construction, a Shasta County company, is still the contractor.
The city expects the project to be done in early February, Visconti said.
“However, PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric Co.) will be mobilizing in soon after to relocate their high pressure gas main which is anticipated to be completed roughly in late spring to early summer,” he said.
The project is part of the city’s long-term grant-funded effort to modernize its aging bridge infrastructure, work that started in 2010.
According to a news release in June, the city has completed work on two of the bridges: Sharon Avenue over the Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District (ACID) canal; and Old Alturas Road over Churn Creek.
Work on the Westside Road over Canyon Hollow Creek Bridge replacement started in June, the news release said. Eighty-eight percent of the $4.8 million project is funded through the Federal Highway Bridge Program with the remaining money coming from city transportation fees. JF Shea of Redding is the contractor.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Delays, some unexpected, push back Olney Creek Bridge replacement
Reporting by David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
