Grand Jury urges replacement, repair of county bridges

YERMO — Two miles east of Alvord Mountain Road a roadblock, sawhorses and several signs completely block Yermo Road just before a bridge. This bridge is run down, with cracked pavement and bent guardrails. The county has recommended that this bridge be replaced, but is unsure when that will be. Until then it is left to the pigeons with nests resting in its wooden structure and the occasional jack rabbit seeking shade.

The San Bernardino County Grand Jury, in a recently released report, urged the county to move forward with all pending bridge work on Yermo Road, Baker Boulevard, National Trails Highway and other bridges in unincorporated areas.

Of the 189 bridges maintained by the County of San Bernardino, 120 are on National Trails Highway between Daggett and Mountain Springs near Needles. Most were built in the early 1930s as part of Route 66, according to the county, and are now in need of replacement or repair.

Bridges are inspected every two years by Caltrans. They use a scale of one to 100 to determine eligibility for funding based on the number of repairs needed. The county recommends that any bridge with a score less than 50 should be replaced. A bridge at Manix wash, near the intersection of Yermo Road and Alvord Mountain Road, was also inspected by a structural engineering firm who suggested that it should be closed until it can be replaced.

The Grand Jury found that repairs were not on track for Yermo and National Trails Highway bridges due to lack of funding. The report recommended removing some of these bridges and paving over the ditches that they span as a cost effective alternative with little inconvenience to residents.

Brendon Biggs, Chief of the Transportation and Planning Division of San Bernardino County Public Works, said that removing these bridges and paving over a dip section would not be a good idea because of flooding. Most of these bridges are over natural flood control ditches and washes and removing them would cause the road to flood during times of heavy rain.

“They would almost have to close the road every time it rains,” said Biggs.

The Yermo Road bridge, along with a bridge on Baker Boulevard, is currently being reviewed for replacement. The funding for these projects will be held until the state and national budgets are approved.

Biggs added that there is funding in place for bridges on National Trails Highway, but they are currently going through the environmental reports process. This process includes reports on desert tortoise protection, Route 66 historical conservation, and a number of other environmental factors.

The Grand Jury also found that few people use these bridges, between 90 and 800 vehicles per day. Closure or traffic on Interstate 40 accounts for days with higher traffic, as there is very little local traffic.

Ten lowest rated bridges maintained by the county in the Barstow area

Bridge name Road Rating
Cerro Ditch National Trails Highway 10*
Gordo Ditch National Trails Highway 10
Cerulia Ditch National Trails Highway 10
Leith Ditch National Trails Highway 10
Terra Ditch National Trails Highway 10
Sombra Ditch National Trails Highway 10
Beacon Ditch National Trails Highway 10
Kalmia Ditch National Trails Highway 17.4
Scotty Ditch National Trails Highway 18.6
Adelia Ditch National Trails Highway 18.6
*all scores out of 100

ABOUT THE WRITER:
Andrea Goodwin is interning with the Desert Dispatch this summer. To reach her, call (760) 256-4126.