Newell Road/San Francisquito Creek Bridge Replacement Project

• Project typeStreets and Sidewalks
• Project value$16,188,303

Project Description

Constructed in 1911, Newell Road Bridge is a 76-foot long, reinforced concrete girder structure spanning 22 feet in width and measuring 18 feet curb to curb. The California Department of Transportation inspected the bridge on multiple occasions and deemed it functionally obsolete, and added the bridge to the Federal Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) in 2011. The new bridge dimensions are 42.5-feet wide, 80-feet long and located in the existing alignment. The bridge width allows for two of the following: 10-foot-wide lanes, 4-foot-wide shoulders, 5-foot 2-inch-wide sidewalks and 2-foot 1-inch wide bridge barriers as shown below.

September 11, 2025 Update

Project Background

Following the Environmental Impact Report certification and approval of locally preferred alternative, the project advanced into the design phase starting with the Bridge Type Selection Report. This report was prepared in 2021 and after several rounds of reviews, Caltrans approved the Bridge Type Selection Report in January 2022. This allowed NV5 to advance the design of the overall project, determine the location of the easements needed and begin utility coordination with the eight utility providers (PG&E, Comcast, AT&T, East Palo Alto Water, CPA- Electric, CPA-WGW, CPA-Fiber, and East Palo Alto Sanitary District). Concurrently, Palo Alto along with SFCJPA staff submitted application packages to the three agencies whose regulatory permits are required. After months of reviews and coordination with Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and US Army Corp of Engineers, these agencies issued permits in the summer 2024. Valley Water and East Palo Alto issued their respective Encroachment Permits.  

On a parallel track while the design was advancing, and as part of the requirements associated with the Highway Bridge Program grant, the Right-of-Way (R/W) review phase began in 2023.  The R/W phase includes appraisal and acquisition of temporary and permanent easements. Seven temporary easements and one permanent easement agreements were obtained and recorded in June of 2024. Once easements and regulatory permits were obtained the R/W package was submitted to Caltrans for review and approval. Caltrans approved the R/W and utility certification on October 11, 2024. This action completed the R/W phase and allowed NV5 to finalize the design, this was done in November 2024.  At that time Palo Alto staff prepared and submitted the Request for Authorization to proceed into the next phase or the Construction phase of the grant. On April 14, Caltrans authorized Palo Alto to proceed with the construction phase through Advanced Construction with a project construction cost of $11,183,100.

The project was advertised for construction and bids were due on May 13, 2025. The City Council authorized the City Manager to award and execute the construction contract with Granite Construction Company (Granite) on June 16, 2025. The notice to proceed was issued on July 24, 2025.

Project Status

Granite is currently reviewing the plans and preparing the overall project schedule and the documents required based on project specifications and Caltrans special provisions. Due to the delayed authorization by Caltrans there is insufficient time during the 4-month creek work window (June 15 – Oct 15) to complete the bridge replacement. In the meantime, AT&T and Comcast are in the process of completing fiber line relocation and existing pole removal. This work will be completed by mid-September. The street tree removal task associated with the bridge project will start on September 15 and take approximately 2 weeks to complete. Tree trunks within the channel will remain in place to provide bank stability during the rainy season. Bridge replacement will start in early 2026, providing the public with continued use of the bridge. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available.

Read a September 11, 2025 Update
Read a June 19, 2025 Update
Read an April 29, 2025 Update
Read an October 10, 2024 Update
Read a May 15, 2024 Status Update
Read a October 19, 2023 status update about the project.
Read a July 3, 2023 update about the project.

Project Documents

Location

479 Newell Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303  View Map

37.4543397,-122.1366832

479 Newell Road , Palo Alto, CA 94303

479 Newell Road , Palo Alto, CA 94303

Newell Road/San Francisquito Creek Bridge Replacement Project