Travelers and locals alike can once again traverse the historic National Trail Highway Bridge 77 as the Department of Public Works (DPW) celebrates its reopening. The bridge in Amboy, aged 94 years and counting, was deemed unsafe last month when inspections revealed it could no longer safely support traffic due to severely weakened structural pilings. Fortunately for those dependent on this route, the bridge's doors swung swiftly back open after a mere three weeks of intensive repairs.

According to San Bernardino County, the closure of the bridge was initiated on Feb. 15, following an alarming Caltrans inspection that exposed a 50 percent degradation in the bridge's pillars. The subsequent DPW examination confirmed that immediate action was needed to quickly ensure the public's safety and minimize disruption. This set the stage for a rapid procurement and permitting process despite the scramble to gather approvals from various environmental and regulatory agencies. By Feb. 27, the emergency response was to fully mobilize, and the repair operatives hit the ground running, a testament to the DPW's efficiency under pressure.

The bridge, characterized by its wooden trestle construction, dates back to 1930, virtually an antique by modern infrastructure standards. Its time-worn wooden piles had succumbed to decay, a victim of time's relentless march, casting doubt on its ability to perform its duty. Notwithstanding these challenges, the DPW Operations field staff, together with the project delivery team, faced the task head-on, proving that venerable structures such as Bridge 77 could be granted a new lease on life with the right expertise and devotion.

The repairs were finalized only three weeks following the emergency declaration, marking a triumph of both determination and coordination across the various governmental bodies involved. Caltrans District 8 gave their stamp of approval following the final inspection on March 21, a mere six days before the bridge was to formally reopen on March 28, as per San Bernardino County. For those interested in the bridge's long history and its recent path to recovery, the DPW has extended an invitation to all to visit their dedicated website on the National Trail Highway's storied path.