San Bernardino marked the long-awaited reopening of its historic Mt. Vernon Avenue Bridge on August 23 with cheers, applause, and the snip of ribbon, restoring a critical connection that had been closed for nearly five years.
The $244.8 million project, which fully rebuilt the 1934 bridge spanning railroads between West Fifth and West Second streets, reconnects the city’s west side. The bridge was shut down in December 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when engineers found its structural safety had fallen to just two percent. Its closure severed the community, leaving businesses, schools, and families struggling with daily detours.
The ceremony brought an emotional return for State Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes, who secured $31 million in state funding for the project. When she stepped to the podium, she was met with a standing ovation and loud applause — her first public appearance following nearly a year-long health battle. “This bridge was built when my mother was born in 1934, and little by little we saw concrete falling onto railroad tracks,” Gómez Reyes said. “It wasn’t safe, and students couldn’t even take the bus. I’m so happy we can now easily get to all of our local businesses across Mt. Vernon Avenue.”…