The Sacramento Weir expansion, which started in 2023 and will add about 1,455 feet with a passive weir structure, has found unstable soil under part of its foundation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed "differential settlement," where some areas of soil are sinking more than others. The Corps said, "We are aware of the differential settlement observed at the Sacramento Weir and our project team is carefully evaluating next steps," and they are working to ensure the structure remains safe, according to ABC10.
Local residents have been watching the construction. One West Sacramento resident, David Ponzi, said, "How fast it went up, I can't believe it. I was just like, they're on the top of their game, but maybe they are not," and added, "I just hope they get it right because that is people’s lives that are going over the bridge every day," as reported by ABC10.
The Sacramento Weir is being expanded as part of the American River Common Features plan, which started in 2016 and has an estimated cost of $1.6 billion. The project will help protect levees by diverting high river flows into the Yolo Bypass. The weir, originally built in 1916 and last opened in 2017, will get a new automatic section that lets water flow over at a certain river height, while the old structure will remain in use. Greg Treible from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said, "That creates a unique phenomena at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers where the water actually reverses course and starts to flow up the Sacramento River right up here," as mentioned by KCRA. The Corps will finish their analysis by the end of September, and the project is expected to be completed next year.
