San Diego

New Bridge Unveiled After Months of Construction

The bridge will serve as the second on-campus crossing over I-5. It will open officially in January.

Commuters will have a new connection between La Jolla and UC San Diego west of Interstate 5 and Medical Center Drive on the east side of the highway.

The Gilman Drive Bridge was unveiled Thursday as crews continue to put finishing touches on the route across the busy I-5 corridor. 

The bridge was built through a partnership between the San Diego Association of Governments, Caltrans, and the University of California, San Diego.

β€œIt’s a very unique arch bridge,” John Haggerty, Director of Rail at SANDAG said. β€œThe university wanted a signature bridge for their campus connection.”

Haggerty said the graceful bridge is an enhancement to the area and will serve as the second on-campus crossing over I-5. It will open to pedestrian and vehicle traffic in January. 

Construction on the bridge began two years ago and has required the closure of I-5 in recent weeks.

Next steps in the Mid-Coast Trolley Expansion will be two other bridges to serve the trolley over I-5. Those will soon begin construction at Voigt and Nobel drives.

When construction began, the approximate cost was estimated at $20.6 million. An estimated $15.3 million was expected to come from TransNet, the regional half-cent sales tax for transportation administered by SANDAG. 

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