County Nixes Plans for a Double Watmaugh Bridge

A plan to build a second traffic-hearty bridge adjacent to the dilapidated Watmaugh Bridge stalled in this month's Landmarks Commission meeting, after neighbors arrived en-masse to protest, reports the Sonoma Index-Tribune.

The counties plan to rebuild the bridge, which is considered unsafe by county engineers, has been met with outrage by community and historical groups. The bridge is named to Sonoma County's list of historic landmarks.

The latest plan - build an adjacent traffic-friendly bridge and limit the Watmaugh bridge to pedestrian and bike transit - met with complaints from the neighbors that the project would infringe on their property.

Officials are at an impasse: Tom O'Kane, deputy director of the county's Transportation and Public Works Department told the Index-Tribune, "We're running out of options - and we're running out of money. We're a year into the project and we still don't have an RPF (request for proposals) out yet." 

Still, O'Kane confirmed: "We're not going to retrofit."

Read the full text of the article here.