Mayor Todd Gloria on Jan. 5 was joined by City Council President Jennifer Campbell to open traffic onto a portion of the new West Mission Bay Drive Bridge, signaling that the $135 million projects are now roughly halfway complete.

On Jan. 6, motorists will begin to be diverted onto the newly constructed bridge to allow the existing, aging bridge to be safely demolished. As the existing bridge is demolished, the iron, concrete, and other materials will be hauled off to be recycled and reused in other capacities.

The old West Mission Bay Drive bridge was built in the early 1950s and features only two travel lanes for northbound and southbound traffic. As traffic volume increased significantly during the past 70 years, the bridge was targeted for a replacement to accommodate this growth. The new version features two standalone bridges – each with three vehicle lanes – and a 12-foot-wide shared path for pedestrians and people riding bicycles, scooters, or other modes of transportation.

Read more: San Diego Community News Group