Two neighborhood organizations will host candidate forums for the three City Council races, beginning Wednesday with the Ward 4 forum at Orange Terrace Community Center.
The Mission Boulevard Bridge, built over the Santa Ana River in 1958, will be replaced with a wider structure featuring a dedicated trail for pedestrians and cyclists starting this spring.
The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a $4 million increase to the city's contribution for the Mission Boulevard Bridge replacement, bringing Riverside's total share of the $91 million project to $5.2 million.
The vote clears the way for construction to begin this spring on a project first approved in 2015. The 67-year-old bridge over the Santa Ana River—one of the major connectors between Riverside and Jurupa Valley—will be replaced with a wider, seismically upgraded structure featuring a dedicated 12-foot multipurpose trail.
"It's actually an absolute blessing that we can build a $91 million project for just contributing $5.5 million," Public Works Engineering Manager Edward Lara told the council. "It's a big win for the city." That figure includes staff costs.
The project's total cost has increased from $38.5 million in the original 2015 agreement to $91.3 million today—a 137 percent increase. Riverside's share jumped from $1.2 million to $5.2 million.
Several factors drove the increase. The project faced years of delays while obtaining environmental permits from the Army Corps of Engineers, which required coordination with an ongoing levee rehabilitation project along the Santa Ana River. Construction inflation added to costs: materials costs have risen more than 35 percent since the pandemic.
Federal Highway Bridge Program funds and state Proposition 1B seismic bond money cover approximately 91 percent of total project costs. Riverside is responsible for 57 percent of the local match, with Jurupa Valley covering 43 percent, based on each city's share of the bridge's length.
Riverside County awarded the $58.9 million construction contract to Skanska USA in December. Skanska's bid was the lowest of five and came in 12.5 percent over the county's estimate.
Lara said the city has already budgeted $3.4 million for the project, with the additional $2.1 million not needed until fiscal year 2027-28.
The existing bridge, built in 1958, was flagged for seismic deficiencies in a 1997 county assessment. Caltrans initially planned a retrofit but determined full replacement was more cost-effective after studies found high liquefaction potential in the soil.
The new bridge will be 23 feet longer, 27 feet wider and raised 5 feet at its center to meet modern flood standards. It will maintain four traffic lanes—two in each direction—but with wider lanes and standard 8-foot shoulders separated by a concrete median.
A key upgrade for pedestrians and cyclists: a 12-foot-wide multipurpose trail along the south side of the bridge, separated from vehicle traffic by a concrete barrier. The trail will connect to Carlson Park and the Santa Ana River Trail.
"As a bicycle commuter in Jurupa from Riverside, I find this bridge to be outdated and in desperate need of attention," Riverside cyclist William Stanford wrote in a 2024 letter to the Press-Enterprise. "There is no safe option for cyclists other than traveling in the inner lane, which is incredibly dangerous."
Lara outlined a two-stage construction approach designed to minimize disruption. Workers will first build the north side of the new bridge while traffic continues on the existing structure. Once the north half is complete, traffic will shift to the new partial bridge while crews demolish the old structure and complete the south side.
During construction, the bridge will maintain two lanes in the peak traffic direction and one lane in the opposite direction—a reduction from the current two lanes each way.
Ward 1 Council Member Philip Falcone asked whether a full closure might have saved money.
"The residents of Ward 1 would love to just sever that all together and just have no bridge there at all," Falcone joked before voting in support. He praised the project's architectural design, which pays homage to the original 1920s Mission Bridge with decorative Mission-style pilasters, fractured rib surface treatments and a center medallion recognizing both cities.
The bridge project aligns with Riverside's broader vision for the Santa Ana River corridor. In October, the city unveiled plans for a "River District" that would transform 250 acres of underutilized parkland along the river into connected public spaces.
Parks Director Pamela Galera told the Gazette at the time: "Many people in the community didn't even know we had a river. They did not know how to access the river, and they did not feel safe on the river."
The new bridge's multipurpose trail creates a key link in that vision, connecting the Santa Ana River Trail to neighborhoods on both sides of the river.
Construction is expected to run through September 2029, with environmental mitigation work—including restoration of 7.46 acres of habitat along the river—continuing through 2033-34. The Santa Ana River Trail will remain open during construction with minor interruptions.
The council approved the amendment without public comment.
City Council will consider $20.1 million in state funds to convert a motel into 114 affordable apartments, review a fire service study recommending 84 new firefighters and two stations, and approve a $4 million increase for Mission Boulevard Bridge replacement.
