Modesto’s century-old Seventh Street span, better known around town as the “Lion Bridge,” shut down to vehicle traffic today, as crews moved into the main phase of a long-planned replacement project. The 1916 cantilevered concrete arch has been under strict weight limits for decades and will be taken down so a new, wider crossing can go up in the same alignment. Drivers are being told to brace for detours and heavier downtown congestion while the work is underway.
County and city officials peg the overall price tag in the neighborhood of $133 to $134 million, with roughly two years of major construction now on the clock. The replacement design calls for a 1,238-foot, eight-span concrete box-girder bridge with two traffic lanes in each direction, plus new bike and…..