The Albion nation is intent on saving the historic Albion Bridge, either as a footbridge or to continue as the state highway. Albion residents, long known for collective action, gathered earlier this month and decided to fight for the Albion River Bridge, but not, at least so far, for the less spectacular Salmon Creek Bridge.
Caltrans wants to replace both at the same time, starting in 2018.
The Albion River Bridge has a heroic story as well as an iconic image. Caltrans has proposed replacing it for an estimated $38 million but has also presented other alternatives. No cost estimate on replacing Salmon Creek Bridge has been released.
Caltrans is restarting its process for replacing the two neighboring bridges. Back in 2009 Caltrans hoped for a 2014 starting date, but the project seemed to have fallen off the drawing board.
Caltrans learned the hard way how involved and effective Mendocino Coast residents can be. Locals forced railing and walkway redesigns on the Ten Mile and Noyo bridges, surprising the state agency and costing it millions.
Local protest pushed the California Coastal Commission to reject the Caltrans plans for Ten Mile Bridge, an action which shocked the state transportation agency and forced it to change its approach. Caltrans grudgingly redesigned its railings because of local pressure when the Noyo River Bridge was replaced. Then the state agency had to use those railings again at Ten Mile. Now the once reviled Mendocino Railing is used all over the state, greatly increasing visual pleasure and even safety, which was, ironically, Caltrans” original objection.
Caltrans” open house
In 2009, there were little or no facts presented about why the bridge needed replacing or how much it would cost. This time, project manager Frank Demling has been out front, actually engaging local residents in conversations, offering a link to an extensive list of documents, especially about the replacement of the Albion River Bridge.
Construction for both projects is scheduled for summer 2018, he said.
A public open house will be held on Thursday, April 24, at Albion Elementary School from 5 to 8 p.m. Caltrans staff will provide displays and be on hand to answer questions about the both projects.
Albion community members recently gathered for a meeting and supported the idea of keeping the historic bridge in one form or another. They also want Caltrans to promise to do a better job of traffic control than during repainting of Salmon Creek Bridge last summer. Albion is essentially an island between the two bridges.
Albion residents also opposed extensive widening of Highway One. Residents have asked Caltrans to give more information about the cost and time estimates, seeking information on what the estimated and final costs and time frames of the Greenwood Creek Bridge replacement project in Elk were. Caltrans has made some major underestimates in recent years, including coming in years late and billions over budget for Bay Bridge replacement phase after phase, one costing more than triple the original estimate in both years and dollars.
The next community meeting will be Thursday, April 10, at 7 p.m. at the new Albion School on Albion Ridge Road.
Albion Bridge
The Albion River Bridge is the last tall wooden highway bridge in California and has a historical designation, according to Caltrans. It is the only bridge in the county eligible for the National Registry of Historical Places, but that status has not been applied for.
The Albion River Bridge was a World War II-era innovation, created when the nation”s steel was rationed to fight the Germans and Japanese.
The big wooden timbers were made from preservative treated recycled Douglas fir trees from Oregon, when redwood was not available due to the war effort. The estimated life left in them is 20 years. Even if replaced, the new ones could likely not be treated with preservatives under today”s environmental laws.
The towering wood timbers, wood railing and wood deck have limited lifespan left but no serious problems and the bridge rated a 75 on a scale of 1 to 100, one of the best such numbers in the county, according to Nationalbridges.com.
For example, the Noyo River Bridge, built in 2005, rates an 81, carrying 10 times the traffic load. One disconcerting element and high maintenance cost of the 970-foot long Albion River Bridge are the 4,819 steel nut and bolt sets that secure the timbers. All the bolts are being replaced about every two years.
History
Using recycled timber to build a bridge during wartime may be heroic but it has its limits.
One problem is with a steel structure that connects the 100-foot and taller timbers to the river floor. That structure is actually a then (1943) old (unknown age) steel bridge yanked from the Feather River Canyon in Butte County and trucked whole to the Mendocino Coast, again due to the lack of any building steel.
Part of the problem is the fact nobody knows how old that “bridge within a bridge” really is. All of the plans require its replacement.
In several older inspection reports, engineers conclude that the 1944 vintage Albion River Bridge could be saved if that tired recycled old bridge at the bottom is removed. The cost of replacing the old steel structure would be about 1/10th of the cost of the entire bridge, a report estimates. That”s not Caltrans” current focus and the agency is downplaying that option.
The two neighboring bridges are classified as “fracture critical” and “structurally obsolete.” Salmon Creek is also classified as structurally deficient. These terms, along with bridge rating numbers, are composed from inspection and other reports. Many engineers say they are as confusing as they are enlightening, especially to the layman.
When the fatal collapse of a Minnesota bridge happened in 2007, immediate inspection of all similar fracture-critical bridges was ordered. The only two coast bridges with that classification the Albion River and Salmon Creek bridges passed that inspection. But inspection reports also contain some disconcerting information.
The Salmon Creek Bridge has a rating of 54 on a scale of 1 to 100, the most recent figures available show. That is the second lowest such number along the coast, after the 1934 vintage Jughandle Creek Bridge, which rates a 35.
Albion and Salmon Creek are currently the only coast bridges on the radar for replacement.
Rust
Salmon Creek Bridge inspection reports tell a story of a long and losing battle with rust nearly everywhere on the 685-foot long green steel girder bridge, built in 1950.
“This aging structure is in a marginal and deteriorating condition. It has a low load rating and is considered an inappropriate design for the environment steel,” a Caltrans report said.
The bridge was completed in the early days of a post-war building boom in which engineers now say many sub-standard and ill-conceived bridges were built. It is now considered foolish to propose steel bridges adjacent to the ocean.
Builders of bridges in the 1930s chose concrete, which has come back as the most sensible choice. In fact, the favored new concrete arch design actually reflects the original 1930s proposed design of the Albion River Bridge before builders were forced to use recycled materials and wood because of the war.
Steel and salt don”t mix, unless painting is constant like with the Golden Gate Bridge which isn”t happening at Salmon Creek despite pleas in inspection reports for more frequent painting. Unlike the Golden Gate, the Salmon Creek Bridge isn”t engineered for ease of painting. Last year”s painting of the bridge caused traffic tie-ups which irritated local residents.
The Albion River Bridge sits a dizzying 150 feet above a narrow canyon, making any replacement in such a tight and tall space with a larger bridge a dual engineering and environmental challenge.
This newspaper obtained inspection reports in 2008, although Caltrans redacted portions of the reports deemed pertinent to national security. Results of a March 11 bridge inspection have been requested from Caltrans by this newspaper.
The inspection reports reveal some bridge problems from unexpected sources. For example, poison oak is a significant problem barring several bridges from being adequately inspected. Even some critically needed inspections were blocked, the reports state. English ivy at one point physically threatened the integrity of the Albion River Bridge, but was removed in time, the reports show.
Caltrans is now soliciting input through its new website devoted to the two projects. The website contains the names of the two project managers and contact info for them.
To find the website on the Albion River and Salmon Creek bridge replacement projects go to albion bridge and salmon bridge.
For more information on bridge ratings, go to:
