Newly Released Renderings of Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge Replacement

Caltrans released images of what the new Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge in Big Sur will look like once construction is complete later this year.

It’s something locals and visitors have been waiting for after a mudslide took out the previous bridge back in February.

Caltrans says it hopes to reconnect the northern and southern halves of Big Sur by fixing the bridge along Highway One.

Come September, drivers will be able to once again experience Big Sur like they could before the winter storms damaged Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge beyond repair.

The renderings released Wednesday by Caltrans are what they hope the Bridge will look like this fall.

“We’re hoping to have public access – not necessarily completion – we may have to take a lane here and there, but public access should be mid to late September, that’s our aggressive target” said Susana Z. Cruz, public information officer with Caltrans.

Caltrans says the new bridge will also be an improved version to avoid similar slides like the one that took out the original bridge built back in 1967.

“The difference is that it’s going to be a single span, meaning that there are no columns in between because there’s a slide in between so, should there be anymore active slides, that will not affect the bridge at all” Cruz said.

Though September may seem far away for those that require access to the bridge Caltrans says expedited bridges typically take a year.

Caltrans says that, along with their aggressive approach, the weather has also worked in their favor.

“Luckily, some bridge work can still take place during the rain so, that hasn’t really stopped us, so the work continues” Cruz said.

Right now Caltrans is removing the last of the debris from the old bridge and facilitating other clean-up. They expect to get many of the new bridge’s parts next month from the Bay Area.