An update on years-long efforts to replace the aging South Yuba River Bridge at Edwards Crossing was provided to Nevada County Supervisors at their meeting yesterday. Public Works Principal Engineer Pat Perkins said the bridge is structurally deficient…

click to listen to Pat Perkins

The environmental impact report assesses two project alternatives. Alternative One would construct a 200-foot span only 60-feet upstream from the existing bridge. But Perkins said it would not change the alignment of the current route, on North Bloomfield Road, to and from the bridge. Meanwhile, Alternative Two would build a 500-foot span about a-thousand feet upstream and at a higher elevation…

click to listen to Pat Perkins

Perkins said Cal Trans is willing to fund Alternative One, which has a pricetag of seven-million dollars. But they’ve not indicated an interest in providing the funding for Alternative Two, which would be 17-million. With both options, the existing bridge will remain in place for pedestrians and bicyclists. The Board approved the circulation of the EIR. The earliest construction could begin would be in the summer of 2027.