The nearly 100-year-old green truss bridge that greets drivers at the southern entrance to Point Reyes Station is finally getting its long-promised replacement. The California Transportation Commission has signed off on $28.48 million to swap out the Highway 1 span over Lagunitas Creek, a decision officials say will boost safety and accessibility after years of design work, public debate and legal wrangling. With the money now locked in, the project is on track to head into construction next year.
State cash clears a major hurdle
The bridge funding is part of a broader batch of statewide transportation investments approved after the commission’s December meeting. Caltrans lists a $28,480,000 allocation for the Lagunitas Creek bridge replacement, along with $3,166,000 for a separate retaining wall and stabilization job on Tiburon Boulevard (SR-131).
What the new bridge will look like, and what it will cost
Caltrans’ final design calls for a three-span, precast concrete girder bridge with wider travel lanes, dedicated shoulders for cyclists and an ADA-compliant pedestrian path. Planning documents cite five-foot cycling shoulders and a six-foot sidewalk on the western side, as reported by the Marin Independent Journal. The outlet also notes the price tag has ballooned from an early 2018 estimate of about $5.8 million to the roughly $28.48 million just approved. Marin County Supervisor Dennis Rodoni told the paper he supports Caltrans’ effort to keep the replacement moving and push toward a 2026 start.
Traffic headaches are coming to Highway 1
According to the Caltrans project page, work is expected to kick off in late spring 2026 and wrap up in summer 2028. The agency warns drivers to expect one-way traffic control at times, plus a full 21-day closure of the bridge after Labor Day in 2026. Caltrans also reports that confirmatory geotechnical drilling has already taken place and that the culvert just north of the bridge will be extended so it lines up with the new span.
The redwood that sparked a coastal showdown
Before the project cleared the California Coastal Commission, commissioners pressed Caltrans to prove it had truly exhausted all feasible alternatives to cutting down a large coast redwood next to the bridge, according to commission records and local coverage. The Point Reyes Light has followed the dispute and reports that Caltrans and utility crews have looked at options such as taller utility poles and different alignments in an effort to spare the tree.
Years of legal fights over the old span
The replacement plan has already had its day in court. A local group called Friends of the Green Bridge sued under CEQA, arguing Caltrans should have seriously evaluated retrofitting the existing truss instead of tearing it down. Coverage by the Marin Independent Journal notes that Marin County Superior Court sided with Caltrans, and a three-judge panel from the 1st District Court of Appeal upheld that ruling in 2023, removing a major legal roadblock.
With the funding now allocated, Caltrans can move ahead to advertise the job for construction bids and nail down remaining permits. Residents and visitors should brace for short-term closures and signed detours once work begins. Local officials say the goal is to deliver a safer, more accessible crossing while keeping impacts to Lagunitas Creek and neighboring properties as limited as possible during the swap-out of the historic green bridge.
