Mt. Vernon Avenue Bridge Reopens Aug. 23 in San Bernardino with Public Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
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Photo by Manny Sandoval: The Mt. Vernon Avenue Bridge stands nearly complete ahead of its Aug. 23 reopening, ending a five-year closure in San Bernardino.
Mt. Vernon Avenue Bridge will reopen Saturday, Aug. 23, with a public ribbon cutting ceremony in San Bernardino, marking the end of a nearly five-year closure.
The event, beginning at 9:30 a.m., will feature local business booths, a classic car show, and the rare opportunity for pedestrians to walk across the new bridge before it reopens to vehicles later that afternoon.
Originally constructed in 1934, the Mt. Vernon Avenue Bridge served as a major artery for 86 years, carrying roughly 60,000 vehicles per day across one of the busiest rail yards in the region. In December 2020, the bridge was closed after being deemed structurally deficient. Demolition followed in April 2021, clearing the way for a modern replacement.
Building above the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway’s vast railyard—which includes 22 active rail lines, storage tracks, an intermodal yard, and routes used by Metrolink and Amtrak—required extensive coordination to keep rail operations uninterrupted. BNSF relocated a building and realigned rail lines within the yard, while the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) resolved a utility conflict in 2023 that had delayed progress.
Since then, SBCTA and its design-build partner, Traylor Granite Joint Venture, have completed the new quarter-mile-long structure. The bridge is supported by 53 girders, including nine that measure 182 feet in length and weigh 250,000 pounds each—the longest pre-cast girders ever produced for a bridge in California.
The reopening restores a vital connection between northern and southern West San Bernardino communities. During construction, SBCTA worked with Omnitrans to provide free bus service for residents and distributed a bilingual brochure to promote businesses impacted by the closure.
The bridge will officially open to traffic after the ribbon cutting ceremony, marking a new chapter for a structure that has linked San Bernardino neighborhoods for generations.
