Big Creek Bridge Work to begin next week

Today’s Date: Thursday, October 31, 2019

District:           05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa       

                         Cruz Counties                                                  

Contact:          Susana Z Cruz (bilingual) or Colin Jones

Phone:            (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3189

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CALTRANS TO BEGIN ELECTROCHEMICAL CHLORIDE EXTRACTION PROJECT ON BIG CREEK BRIDGE NEXT WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6

BIG SUR COAST– Caltrans will begin a construction project to extend the life of the Big Creek Bridge on Highway 1, 27 miles south of Big Sur, next Wednesday, Nov. 6.Electrochemical Chloride Extraction (ECE), will be used to remove chloride ions from the concrete and reinstate the passivity of the bridge’s steel reinforcement. Details are as follows:

Wednesday, Nov. 6 through Friday, Nov. 8

• Highway 1 at Big Creek will experience intermittent lane closures with one-way traffic control from 7 am to 6 pm through Friday, Nov. 8 to mobilize equipment
• Motorists can expect 10 to 15-minute traffic delays

Monday, Nov. 11 through Friday, Nov. 15

• Same closure time and location through Friday, Nov. 15 to install scaffolding under bridge—equipment will be crossing the roadway and delays of up to 15 minutes can also be expected.

The ECE process extends the life of concrete structures/the Big Creek Bridge.

NOTE: Big Creek Bridge will be restricted to legal trucks only, no permit loads will be allowed on the bridge until the project is completed.

Please refer to link below for a more in-depth explanation of the ECE process. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/02107/02107.pdf

The contractor for this $10.5 million construction project is Truesdell Corporation of CA, Inc from Tempe, AZ. The project is scheduled to be complete in the Summer of 2021.

Caltrans reminds motorists to move over and slow down when

driving through highway work zones.