Pending City Council approval, construction could soon begin for a $36.4 million pedestrian and cycling bridge spanning the intersection of Jamboree Road and Michelson Drive in Irvine.
Initial plans for the bridge go back more than 20 years. Plans call for a stainless steel bridge with elevators and wide staircases.
In 2004, the city earmarked the first $4 million for the bridge in an Irvine Business Complex infrastructure plan. The plan posited that a pedestrian bridge eventually built at this intersection would improve traffic congestion. With the bridge in place to the north of the intersection with Michelson, the Jamboree crosswalks would be removed from the roadway.
In 2015, the City Council approved a $31 million budget for the project amid a series of proposals to address traffic throughout the city.
On Tuesday, councilmembers will consider a budget augmentation of more than $5 million to finally get the bridge off the ground. Their consideration will include a $25.5 million construction contract with M.S. Construction Management Group.
Irvine Business Complex fees will provide the majority of the funding to build the bridge. These fees are collected by development activity within the IBC to fund infrastructure projects in the community that “promote connectivity and walkability,” a city document says.
The bridge is expected to be completed by mid-2027.
