SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District is wrapping up levee construction across Sacramento's H Street Bridge and will need to maintain the temporary detours around the construction areas until project completion expected in September.
Pedestrian and cycling traffic over the bridge, and along the American River Bike Trail, has remained open throughout construction. Passage underneath the eastern side of the bridge has also largely remained open throughout construction. However, passage underneath the western end of the bridge will not open ahead of schedule this month as previously thought.
“We regret any inconveniences the temporary detours around our levee work have caused and we’re actively exploring all options to minimize them," said Corps project manager John Hoge. "This work is critical to reducing Sacramento’s flood risk, and we need to take the time to make sure it gets done right."
The levee work at the bridge is necessary to close a gap in the existing seepage cutoff wall inside the levee. Connecting the cutoff wall will help prevent water from seeping through and underneath the levee as it flows from Folsom Dam to the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers. The Corps built more than 20 miles of seepage cutoff walls into American River levees between 2000 and 2002, but work at around 30 sites was set aside for later where complicated encroachments existed such as utilities, power lines or bridges. Work at the H Street Bridge and two other locations represent the last of this river's levee-gap fixes, scheduled to be completed in 2015.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District provides planning, engineering, project management, environmental restoration and construction services to military and civilian customers in parts of eight western states, including California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming.
Release no. 15-024