Fremont Street Low Water Crossing Replacement Project

Location

Fremont Street and Wilson Creek

City or County Responsible for Project

City of Yucaipa

Author

Todd Gutjahr

Organization

City of Yucaipa

Address

34272 Yucaipa Blvd.

Phone

909-797-2489×289

Project Description

In November of 2019 the City completed the Fremont Street Low Water Crossing Replacement Project. The Project is the 8th bridge project completed by the City with a total value of over $18 million. This Project replaced the low water at grade crossing on Fremont Street and Wilson Creek with a new bridge. The old roadway at the bottom of the dip was not wide enough for 2 vehicles traveling in the opposite direction to pass at the same time. Prior to the construction of the bridge, Fremont Street would have to be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic when it rained. There is now is an all-weather road to the north bench. This Project consists of a concrete box culvert bridge over Wilson Creek improving access and public safety. This is important because it allows a route for emergency vehicles to access the north bench area of the City. The project included sidewalk and multi-use trail improvements to provide a connection to the regional multi-use trail system. Utilities serving the north bench were relocated above the bridge and under the roadway to protect the utilities from being washed out. The Project included channel grading to provide a basin and natural meandering channel to slow storm water and enhance groundwater recharge opportunities. The natural channel and minimal use of concrete promotes habitat preservation opportunities and is a benefit to the natural environment. The channel grading and concrete transition structures on the downstream side of the bridge were designed to direct storm flows into the Wilson Creek Spreading Basins managed by the San Bernardino County Flood Control District. This Project included work within Wilson Creek, which required regulatory agency permits from the U. S. Army Corp of Engineers, Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. City staff, working with the resource agencies on the environmental review, environmental mitigation requirements and associated offsite mitigation requirements for the Project, received the approved regulatory permits from the applicable regulatory agency in July of 2017. The permits were issued contingent upon the mitigation of the restoration, enhancement and permanent preservation of 6.8 acres of waters of the State and acquisition, restoration, enhancement, and rehabilitation of 4.4 acres of waters of the United States. The permits required an extensive amount of environmental mitigation that will set aside 12.2 acres of open space habitat area within the City as a conservation easement. These 12.2 acres will remain open space forever. A significant benefit of this Project to the community is the ability to capture and percolate natural storm flows for replenishment of the underground aquifer that is the source of water for the community’s residents. It is estimated that in excess of 300 acre-feet (325,000 gallons) will be successfully introduced into the local groundwater supplies.