SACRAMENTO, CA - A new study promotes the need for more bridges connecting Sacramento with its much smaller neighbor, West Sacramento.
Currently, the Pioneer Bridge on Highway 50 is the main connection between the two cities.
Maureen Pascoe, Capitol Improvement Manager in West Sacramento, said 1,700 Sacramento-area residents participated in an online survey asking about river crossings. The nine-month study looked at eight alternative bridge sites: Five north of Highway 50 and three to the south.
"People were interested in smaller bridges, not big towering bridges like the Pioneer Bridge," Pascoe said. "People were strongly in favor of a multipurpose bridge -- a bridge that shares with pedestrians, transit and bicycles."
Pascoe says West Sacramento would like some new bridges because it's home to 40,000 jobs.
Sacramento is concerned about having bridge infrastructure that will handle traffic coming out of the new railyard development when it's finished. With the Tower Bridge already in place, Pascoe explained researchers "looked at improving the I Street Bridge and crossing the (Sacramento) river near Richards Boulevard."
Much of the study's focus was on river crossings south of the downtown core.
"I think there's an obvious need for more connections," said Mark Abrahams, president of the Land Park Neighborhood Association.
Abrahams reminded this isn't the first time transportation officials have considered putting a bridge at Sutterville Road. Abrahams doesn't want a bridge there.
"It would be difficult because of all the traffic problems that would occur around Land Park Drive, Riverside and Freeport Boulevard," he said.
On the other side of the river, Southport neighbors worry about how emergency vehicles will get in and out during a crisis if Jefferson Boulevard is blocked at the canal near South River Road. Emergency crews might be forced to drive south to the Freeport Bridge.
David Levin said it's a scenario he's thought about but he also dislikes the idea of a bridge at Sutterville.
"I'd like to see a bridge farther down I-5 at Seamas or maybe in the Florin Road area," Levin said.
At this point, any new bridge crossing is simply conjecture because the cost of a small bridge with one or two lanes going in both directions is estimated at costing anywhere from $40 million to $270 million.
With both West Sacramento and Sacramento struggling with the economic downturn, Pascoe said a new bridge could be 10 to 15 years away.
By Karen Massie, kmassie@news10.net
News10/ KXTV