Politics & Government

Replace or Retrofit: What Should Happen to Watmaugh Bridge?

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors recently OK'ed an environmental impact report for a new bridge that's supposed to replace the ailing, historic Watmaugh Bridge.

In a unanimous vote this week, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors OK'ed an environmental impact report for a bridge project that's supposed to replace Watmaugh Bridge, the Sonoma Index Tribune reports. 

Watmaugh Bridge, the 83-year-old steel-truss bridge spanning Sonoma Creek, is a piece of Sonoma history and should be retrofitted, say its supporters.

However, the board of supervisors say that the bridge is ailing, and is a public safety issue. The new bridge is designed to be at 32 feet with 11-foot traffic lanes and two five-foot pedestrian/bike lanes, according to the Index Tribune. The current bridge is 22-feet wide and does not have pedestrian or bike lanes.

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Proponents of the bridge say that the board of supervisors are not in a retrofit mindset, but instead want to replace the bridge without doing everything in their power to restore a piece of Sonoma history.

Now we put the question in front of the readers of Sonoma Valley Patch. Should the bridge be replaced? Or should it be retrofitted?

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