Gonzales considering a Fifth Street Bridge makeover to ease traffic

Once the school year rolls around in the Fall, it can only mean one thing for commuters in Gonzales having to navigate through the Fifth Street bridge: Traffic.

Whether it’s the foot traffic from kids walking to school or all of the drivers trying to get onto Highway 101 (South and north, mind you), this area is known for causing headaches as people wait at stop signs for their turn to go.

Several plans are in the works to try to ease that traffic, however. The problem, as with many projects, is the cost of getting these projects on a blueprint and constructed.

Gonzales has talked roundabouts, a bridge widening project and even re-striping to add a lane at the Fifth Street Bridge for some time.

“This is traffic challenge number one here in Gonzales,” says Public Works Director, Patrick Dobbins. “When we’re looking at the options and what the costs are, none of them are easy.”

Re-striping the bridge to add a fourth lane may seem like an easy fix, but some argue this would make lanes too narrow for bigger vehicles to travel on.

Caltrans has denied the city’s request to have the bridge re-striped as of April 2019.

Adding roundabouts at the Highway 101 on/off ramps nearby would require property on either side of the bridge to be purchased. The property currently sits where businesses and some apartments are located.

Widening the bridge would require Caltrans approval and may take longer than the city would hope for, in terms of trying to ease the traffic congestion at the Fifth Street Bridge.

As the bridge stands now, drivers are forced to make two stops to go straight through it.

“It’s those left turns that lock up movement on the bridge,” says Dobbins. “If we can get at least one lane added it would go a long way to get vehicles moving.”

A temporary fix in place during the school year is having city staff act as crossing guards for both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

For now the only thing set in stone is the bridge. City leaders plan on discussing the proposed fixes further at future meetings.