The bridge’s westbound lane into Santa Cruz is expected to be closed for the duration of the project. (Tyler Maldonado — Santa Cruz Local)
Last updated: June 2025
Location: Murray Street Bridge
The bridge connects Murray Street to Eaton Street in Santa Cruz. It runs parallel to the railroad tracks above the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor.
Status
- Starting June 23, 2025, both lanes of traffic are expected to be closed to cars, bikes and pedestrians. The bridge is expected to reopen to pedestrians in both directions and eastbound drivers and cyclists in February 2026. The westbound land will open when the project is expected to finish in January 2028.
- Construction work is expected 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday with occasional weekend work, according to a city webpage.
Project description
The project aims to improve earthquake and transportation safety. Improvements include:
- Seismic support: New support pilings will be driven underwater and new columns will be attached to the bridge deck to fortify it from future temblors.
- Bike safety: The bridge will be widened by about 10 feet. Bike lanes on either side of the bridge will be expanded from 4 feet to 6 feet, though they will remain unseparated from vehicle traffic, city officials said.
- Pedestrian access: A 7.5-foot-wide two-way pedestrian sidewalk will be installed on the ocean-facing side of the bridge, nearly double the width of the current sidewalks.
- Sewer main: A sewer force main serving Aptos, Live Oak, Santa Cruz and Capitola will be enlarged.
- Cost: The total cost of the project is expected to be $50 million, city officials said in 2025. The city will pay for around 12% of the project. State and federal grants are expected to cover the remainder.
Contractor
Irvine-based Shimmick Construction Co. Inc.
Project timeline
Murray Street Bridge is the last bridge in the City of Santa Cruz to be updated for earthquake safety.
A project was first proposed in the 1990s and was delayed for decades because of money and other problems. The city made its first attempt to find a contractor in 2023, but only received one bid that was rejected by the Santa Cruz City Council. The contract was ultimately awarded to Shimmick Construction Co. Inc in late 2024.
A map shows Murray Street bridge detours in June 2025. (City of Santa Cruz)
A construction crew works on the Murray Street Bridge project in May 2025. (Tyler Maldonado — Santa Cruz Local)
The rail bridge parallel to the harbor bridge is not part of the seismic retrofit project. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
New pilings and columns are expected to fortify the bridge against earthquakes. (Tyler Maldonado — Santa Cruz Local)
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