Project Will Alter Traffic Patterns Around PCR

With the upcoming demolition of Jessen Avenue Bridge, and construction of its replacement, the has announced new traffic flow patterns in and around . 

Beginning in February, there will be three lanes of traffic on Palm Drive: northbound, southbound and a dedicated left-turn only lane into the upper driveway of Palm Crest Elementary, according to a traffic map posted on the city's website. 

During school hours, drivers may only enter the school's lot by making a left turn into the upper driveway from Palm Drive - you will no longer be allowed to make a right -- so if you are driving west on Fairmont, you'll have to drive past Palm, make a U-turn approaching Solliden Lane and stop to let students out at the Jessen area drop-off area. (Please see a map of the city's traffic plan in the PDF at the right.)

Drivers traveling south from Castle Road will turn left onto Lyans Drive, left onto Palm Drive and then left into the lot.  

The exact demolition and construction date have yet to be determined, as the city first must award the construction bid, Edward Hitti, director of public works, said Monday. The city is currently accepting bids for the construction job, which is slated to run through August. 

Proposed Bridge Versus Current Bridge

The CalTrans Sufficiency Rating System has scored the current bridge at 47.8 out of 100. Any structure that scores below 50 must be replaced. 

The city's proposed replacement bridge includes a single span, 70-feet long and 40-feet wide; it will have two lanes of traffic with 4-foot shoulders and a 5-foot sidewalk, and its roadway approach will be 32 feet. 

The curent bridge, constructed in the 1930s, is a single span, timber and steel trestle, that is 41-feet long, 26.5-feet wide. It has two lanes, minimal shoulders, and a pedestrian path on the west side.