Skip to content Skip to Content

Months long Murray Bridge closure hits harbor businesses

0:00/ 0:00LIVEQualityAuto  AudioSubtitleSpeedNormal  

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — The Murray Street Bridge in Santa Cruz is now completely shut down in both directions, and it’s not reopening anytime soon.

What began as a partial, one-way closure has now become a full shutdown one that’s expected to last more than seven months. For many small businesses near the Santa Cruz Harbor, it’s already proving to be a major challenge.

“There’s a very good chance that several businesses will close,” Michael Spadafora said.

“The detour is created right into being an island so people don't come down here. They only come down here if they need to come down here for some reason. We've lost all our drive-by and half-a-chance traffic. All our weekend and afternoon traffic is all gone,” Michael Spadafora, owner of Java Junction, said.

The $50 million bridge retrofit aims to improve earthquake safety and pedestrian access, but business owners say the timing and impact haven’t been managed well.

“About half the customers that we usually have came and picked up today. And so, it's definitely affected the business quite a bit,” Brian Smith said. Smith manages H&H Fresh Fish, a popular spot at the harbor.

“My sales and everybody else's sales are down about 25%,” Michael Spadafora said.

When asked if the city has offered support during the project:

“The city really hasn't done anything,” Michael Spadafora said.

The city has posted signs to let people know that businesses are still open but to many owners, it’s not enough.

“The city needs to be better prepared when they're doing things like this. Better prepared so that things get done quicker,” Michael Spadafora said.

City officials say they’ve taken steps to manage traffic along the detour routes.

“We’ve made pretty significant changes already to our traffic signal timing to maximize the volume of traffic that we can move through some of these arterials in our city,” Kevin Crossley said. Crossley is the assistant director and city engineer at Santa Cruz Public Works.

When asked whether the city plans to provide financial support to struggling businesses, Crossley pointed to legal limitations.

“In part because this is a public project, we're not enabled to provide direct financial relief to anybody affected by the project private citizens or businesses,” Kevin Crossley said.

For businesses most directly impacted by the construction footprint, the city says accommodations have been made.

“The Chardonnay tour operator was relocated as part of the project to a different location. That cost was covered by the project. And so anybody who has been directly affected by the project has been appropriately compensated or provided an alternative location to operate out of,” Kevin Crossley said.

Despite the disruption, some businesses are hopeful they can weather the storm.

“I think our business will be okay. I think maybe some of the smaller businesses might struggle quite a bit. Seven months of total closure is rough for me,” Brian Smith said.

“Please keep shopping. It's going to add a little bit of extra commute to everybody's day. But if you can take the time, still support our local businesses it'll help us in the long run for sure,” Brian Smith said.

The eastbound lane of the Murray Street Bridge may reopen to vehicles and cyclists by February 2026.

However, full completion of the project isn’t expected until January 2028.

Article Topic Follows: News

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

Briana Mathaw

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KION 46 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.