LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Recent land movement results in closure of Canyon Bridge pedestrian access


Canyon Bridge pedestrian access closed Photo Vera Kochan

Mother Nature's periodic burst of storms has taken its toll around Moraga. One such instance involves the beleaguered Canyon Bridge area.

On Feb. 13, the East Bay Municipal Utility District notified the town of renewed land movement that initially damaged the original bridge in 2017. While the temporary bridge itself is safe and open to vehicle and bicycle traffic, the pedestrian crossing is provisionally closed.

"The pedestrian bridge crossing is a separate structure that is attached to the west side of the temporary bridge," said Moraga Public Works Director Edric Kwan. "The asphalt (AC) pathway on the southern side, because of the current land slide, began to push against the end of the pedestrian bridge. The town quickly mobilized an on-call contractor to remove the portions of the AC pathway that were pushing on the pedestrian bridge crossing. The removal necessitated the temporary closure."

Town staff and geotechnical engineers have evaluated the situation and determined the bridge itself is structurally sound. Kwan assured that "the temporary bridge deep stitch wall piers and bridge abutments continue to function as designed, protecting the bridge from adjacent land movement."

As a precaution, Moraga notified the East Bay Regional Park District of the closure. According to the EBRP website trail notification status, "Until further notice, the Valle Vista to Canyon Bridge section of the Lafayette-Moraga Trail is closed. When bridge access is not available, it does not leave access to the trail."

Kwan stated, "Any expenses should fall under the Federal Highway Administration's emergency relief program for the temporary bridge."

As the town continues to monitor the bridge and surrounding land during the ongoing rainy season, it anticipates that the pedestrian access will be reopened by May of this year.