Since the demolition of the the old bridge in September of 2021, travel has been impacted on the east side of Culver City, and the Oct. 30, 2023 ceremony opening the bridge was a welcome milestone. Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager was on hand (seen here flanked by Culver City council members Dan O’Brien and Freddy Puza) enthusiastically praising the accomplishment. “Projects get finished!”
Replacing the bridge included a number of enhancements, such as additional travel lane (there are now two in each direction,) new bike lanes, a new entrance and bike ramp connection to Ballona Creek Bike Path, wider sidewalks, traffic signal upgrades at Jefferson Boulevard, new pavement, striping, and retaining walls, as well as landscaping and irrigation.
The project took significantly longer than originally planned, in part due to the very wet winter of 2022. There were weeks and months were scheduled work had to wait until the skies cleared.
The Higuera Street Bridge Replacement Project was a collaborative effort involving multiple contributors, including the City of Culver City; local government played a crucial role in planning, coordinating, and overseeing the project. They worked closely with many other stakeholders to ensure successful execution. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) was also essential, as a state agency responsible for transportation infrastructure, Caltrans collaborated with the city to meet safety standards, provide technical expertise, and facilitate the project.
The contractor tasked with replacing the bridge was Ortiz Enterprises, Inc. They carried out the demolition of the old Higuera Street Bridge and constructed the new, wider bridge with improvements.
Also vital to the new bridge was the Federal Highway Bridge Program. This federal grant provided funding for the project as one of the many infrastructure enhancements and safety improvements it has funded on bridges across the country.
The enhancements of the bike path and sidewalks were supported by a Proposition 84 Grant from the Baldwin Hills Conservancy. This state grant focuses on environmental conservation and water quality projects. Metro also awarded a grant to support this critical infrastructure upgrade.
Additional funds from sources such as the Gas Tax, Measure R, and General Funds. The city’s commitment to local infrastructure development played a significant role in making this project possible.
So, eight sources of funding, from the federal down to the municipal level, all supported the new bridge to improve accessibility, safety, and connectivity.
Judith Martin-Straw
