Mt Vernon Bridge to Re-Open Saturday, August 23rd

The City of San Bernardino will be holding a celebration Saturday, August 23rd to mark the opening of the Mt. Vernon Bridge.

A ribbon cutting will kick-off the festivities at 9:30 am along with booths from local businesses, a classic car show, the opportunity to walk the bridge, and more. The bridge will be opened to traffic later that afternoon.

The Mt. Vernon Avenue Bridge replacement project spans over one of the largest rail yards in the region. Originally built in 1934, the iconic structure in San Bernardino, the Mt. Vernon Avenue Bridge connected communities on the west side of San Bernardino for 86 years, serving as a vital link for residents, visitors, students, and businesses. Prior to its closure, approximately 60,000 motorists used the bridge every day.

After being deemed structurally deficient, the bridge closed to the public in December 2020 and was demolished in April 2021, making way for a new bridge.

The City of San Bernardino (City) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) partnered with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) to rebuild the bridge. The project has been challenging as the construction had to take place without disrupting the rail yard.

The Mt. Vernon Bridge spans over 22 active rail lines. It crosses the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad mainlines, storage tracks, and intermodal yard, as well as tracks used by regional commuter rail (Metrolink) and Amtrak. The bridge provides the only arterial crossing over the rail lines in the area.

A total of 53 girders between 90 and 182 feet long were used to complete the quarter mile long span of the bridge. Nine of the girders are 182 feet long, weigh 250,000 pounds each, and are the longest pre-cast girders made for a bridge in California.