The South Bay Boulevard bridge connecting Los Osos and Morro Bay will be replaced, with construction starting soon.
The bridge was built in 1996, and due to its age and because it was found that it could collapse during a strong earthquake, the three-span concrete bridge will be reconstructed.
“Construction will start this next month. We will have the contractor mobilize to the site and start site set up and then the majority of construction will start later in February,” said Aaron Hope, San Luis Obispo County Public Works Project Manager.
The new bridge will also be made of concrete, but it will be wider and its 12-foot diameter piers will be set deeper in the ground.
Morro Bay resident Jordan Pavachich uses the bridge a few times a month to visit his doctor and pharmacy and dine out in Los Osos.
“I’m glad they’re doing it," Pavachich said. "I hear that it’s a big fix for seismic reasons and that’s the main one, safety. So yeah, I’m glad that they’re doing it and probably a little widening is a good idea.”
Hope said that the overall cost of the project will be $30 million. It is 88% funded through the federal highway bridge program, with the remaining amount coming from county funds.
He added that people’s commutes will not be affected, other than reduced speeds when the lanes and shoulders are narrowed during construction.
“The new bridge will be constructed on the inland side adjacent to the existing bridge and the existing bridge will remain open during construction,” Hope said.
“That’s a good idea, otherwise we’d have to take kayaks across,” Pavachich laughed.
Once the new bridge is constructed, the old one will be demolished.
As for the beloved bear statue that stands near the bridge.
“During construction, the bear will be safe," Hope said. "It will be taken down and housed in a safe location and then once the bridge project is complete, it will be replaced at roughly the same spot, just on the other side of the bridge on a new concrete pad."
The bridge work is expected to be complete by the fall of 2027.
