County approves funding agreement for Lenwood bridge project

SAN BERNARDINO • The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved a shared funding agreement for the proposed Lenwood Road bridge over the railroad tracks near West Main Street in Barstow at its meeting Tuesday.

The bridge project — commonly referred to as the Lenwood grade separation — has an estimated cost of $31.5 million and will be constructed using federal, state, BNSF Railroad, county, and city funds. The board of supervisors approved the shared funding agreement with San Bernardino Associated Governments and the City of Barstow through its consent calendar Tuesday.  

The Barstow City Council approved its part in the funding agreement last week.

The bridge project — located on both city and county land — will widen Lenwood Road from two to four lanes and will pass over the BNSF Railroad tracks. The project is meant to accommodate the anticipated increase in traffic from both trains and semi trucks as a result of the operations of the Barstow industrial park and Walmart distribution center.

The bridge project is also considered part of the Alameda Corridor East, which is a national goods movement plan for moving freight from ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach to the rest of the nation.

First District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt praised the approval of the funding agreement for the bridge project, saying that the project will increase development in the area.

“A bridge over the railroad tracks at Lenwood Road will spur further development of warehousing and distribution centers in Barstow and help attract much-needed, well-paying jobs,” said Mitzelfelt in a statement Tuesday.

The county has already pledged $2.5 million for the project’s design, while the City of Barstow’s share will be about $2 million. Other funding sources include an $11 million bond secured with Measure I funding — a one-half cent sales tax increase previously approved by voters — from both the city and the county.

The county will oversee the design, while SANBAG is responsible for construction and acquiring the right-of-way or property needed for the project. Construction on the project is set to begin early 2013, according to Mitzelfelt.

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