Murray Street Bridge project brings detours, closures until 2028

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Drivers and bicyclists in Santa Cruz going across Santa Cruz Harbor on Murray Street will face detours and closures from now until 2028.

From March 24, 2025, the westbound lane of the bridge on Murray Street will be closed to vehicles and bikes. The eastbound lane will still be open along with two-way pedestrian access.

Those traveling westbound will be detoured away from the bridge starting at 7th Avenue and Eaton Street, then sent down 7th Avenue to Capitola Road followed by Soquel Avenue and down Seabright Avenue. This detour will end at Seabright Avenue and Murray Street.

The Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit and Barrier Replacement Project will involve constructing new piles and columns and widening the bridge deck.

Other additions of note include six-foot-wide bike lanes, a seven-and-a-half-foot-wide sidewalk and see-through barrier rails.

Beyond the lane closure, two full bridge closures are planned with the first closure expected to start mid-to-late 2025 for four and a half months. The second will be early to mid-2026 for three months straight.

In both instances, detours will reroute drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians away from the bridge.

Harbor access west and east paths are also scheduled to close in 2027 during one half of that year each.

The Murray Street Bridge is the last in Santa Cruz to undergo a seismic retrofit. The project will take $50 million to complete.