Albion River Bridge Stewards host bridge-saving effort Tuesday

MENDOCINO Co., 8/26/24 — The Albion River Bridge Stewards will hold a workshop-style public meeting on Tuesday to try to address residents’ frustrations after Caltrans summarily ended its only public meeting August 13 with over 30 people still wanting to speak. That meeting did not satisfy many attendees, who wanted to discuss the options of repairing or replacing the historic landmark Albion River Bridge; instead Caltrans offered only replacement options and said repairing the bridge was no longer on the table.

The Stewards’ informal workshop will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, August 27 at 998 School Street Community Center in the town of Mendocino. Jim Heid of the Stewards says the workshop will allow people to discuss strategy and write comments and questions to Caltrans during the state agency’s written public comments period, which ends September 9. Caltrans reps repeatedly asked people to put questions in writing at the last meeting.

“Caltrans’ so-called ‘public meeting’ earlier this month was very one-sided, with lengthy presentations that left little time for Q&A,” Heid said. “Worse, the meeting facilitator refused to extend the meeting to accommodate the many raised hands in the room. We think the community should hear the full story. We’ll start with a short presentation, and then assist community members who would like to comment on Caltrans’ plans. Public comment is due by September 9.”

Heid said the Stewards want the community to know the fight is not over. “We decided to hold a community meeting on Tuesday for a couple of reasons. First, because Caltrans’ meeting ignored the option of rehabilitating and maintaining the bridge — an option they had been talking about for years. We want to present the economic and historic case for keeping the bridge. We want to let folks know that just because Caltrans has chosen not to talk about keeping the bridge doesn’t mean that option is off the table.”

Social media such as the MCN listservs and Facebook have been active since the meeting. While some people want a new bridge, most of the comments from the Albion area have been in favor of saving the old bridge. Even more people have been bemused.

“It’s critical to let Caltrans know — in writing, by Sept. 9,” Heid said. “We want to help people provide public comment that addresses the many flaws in the [environmental documents] and to ask Caltrans to prepare a supplemental report that evaluates rehabilitation and maintenance of the existing bridge.”

There have also been numerous questions on social media as to why Mendocino County Supervisor Ted Wiliams, who represents Albion, has not weighed in on the controversy. Others questioned why the area’s congressman, assemblyman, or state representatives have all been silent so far. Williams was at the October 13 meeting, listening outside the door, as the room was packed. He has not responded to email queries so far.

Two bridges, Albion River and Salmon Creek, are slated by Caltrans to be replaced, one after the other. One of the worries expressed on social media is that Caltrans will mandate long detours during the replacement process because county roads don’t meet state criteria for detours. A few total closure times are expected for both bridges, although a replacement bridge would be built alongside the existing bridge. The expected long delays would likely suggest taking another route, such as State Route 20, to avoid Albion entirely.

Caltrans has tried to force through bridge proposals in the past and failed twice in the 2000-2010 time frame. The state agency was forced to negotiate with locals, led by Vince Taylor, for a better Noyo River bridge. Caltrans presented a rail design for the Noyo Bridge that residents said was ugly and blocked ocean views. In this case, residents won, and Caltrans now uses the wide-open bridge rail design the agency resisted. Then came the biggest defeat of Caltrans anyone could remember when the agency ignored protests by residents of the new design of the Ten Mile River Bridge and went to the California Coastal Commission for what was expected to be a final rubber stamp — only to have the finished plans rejected. The Ten Mile River Bridge ended up with the design that citizens wanted.

After those defeats, Caltrans took a more open approach to replacing the Albion River and Salmon Creek bridges, engaging in back and forth with citizens and presenting a variety of bridge plans. That didn’t placate the opposition to replacing the Albion River Bridge. The Stewards gathered engineer-generated reports and wood experts to argue the 1944 bridge could be reused. 

Heid said, “Our position is the same: save the bridge. There’s no need for a `better design’ because the existing bridge can serve for decades with proper maintenance. With the addition of a cantilevered sidewalk — something engineers have said is completely possible — it can also provide pedestrian and bicycle access.”

Heid brought up both the environmental and dollar cost: “This bridge is safe, historic, unique, and woven into the fabric of this part of the coast. Caltrans’ plans are contrary to the local coastal plan, damaging to the sensitive environment of the state-designated Wild and Scenic Albion River, and damaging to private property in the town of Albion. And they’re a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars.”

Others disagree. “Take a bunch of pictures and replace that bridge!!! The design is from the Dark Ages for chrissake!! I’m getting too old to hold my breath in fear crossing it,” said Joe Wagner of Fort Bragg in a Facebook post. 

This previous article has links to both the Caltrans and Stewards pages. Although Caltrans says there are five options to choose from, the fifth option seems to be entirely negated by its own environmental documents and statements by Caltrans at the meeting.