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Image courtesy Town of Moraga Canyon Bridge Project Staff Report
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After CalTrans declared the Canyon Bridge unsafe and planned to finance its replacement, Moraga Public Works Director Edric Kwan - who has conducted two community outreach sessions with his team - is determined to answer questions from the Moraga and Canyon communities about the project. At the last outreach session on Jan. 20, plans for the new bridge were presented, along with the building strategy developed to avoid interruption of transit.
The total cost of the bridge is estimated at $3.4 million. The town secured a federal grant for 88.5 percent of the total cost, and is required to fund $400,000. Kwan added that the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) might help with matching funds.
The new bridge will continue to have two car lanes, with added bicycle lanes on both sides and a raised pedestrian walkway on the side where Canyon Road meets the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail.
The new bridge will be significantly higher than the current one to incorporate 100-year flood data as well as East Bay Municipal Utility District water discharge volume. In order to create a smooth transition onto the higher bridge, the road on both sides will be reconstructed.
One resident voiced concern about having a wide bridge with bike lanes that dump down onto a very narrow two-lane road. "That's very hazardous," he said. Moraga Chief of Police Bob Priebe noted that as far as he knows there has been only one collision on the bridge involving a horse trailer. He added that his concern is for bicyclists heading south, especially when they reach the narrow turn bearing right on Canyon Road. "I would like to see us have advisory signs moving bicyclists from Canyon Road to the (Lafayette-Moraga) trail that comes back down (onto Canyon) where there is better clearance."
The construction, which will be staggered to keep one traffic lane open at all times, is scheduled to begin in 2016. Traffic will be regulated by a traffic light. More information is available on the town's website at moraga.ca.us/canyonbridge. A comprehensive Q&A is available on the bridge project page.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA