The former detour route is gone and traffic is now moving across the NEW Viejas Boulevard – Sweetwater River Bridge near Descanso.
The new arched bridge replaces one built in the 1950s that had posted weight restrictions preventing large vehicles form crossing it and Caltrans determined did not have adequate shoulders. It was developed with input from the local community and is designed to minimize impact to the environment, including marshland, coast live oaks and the endangered arroyo toad. The County of San Diego and DPW also worked closely with area residents, local businesses, and the Descanso Elementary school to minimize impacts to traffic flow during the one-year construction.
With the bridge now complete, the surrounding area has been replanted with native plants and hydro-seeding has been done along the bridge entrances. Even mounds of large rocks have been placed in the stream bed to accommodate amphibians and fish when water resumes normal flow during the wet season.
The Viejas Boulevard Bridge Project is another example of DPW – Working for You.
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