The elegant, new West Mission Bay Drive Bridge — designed to evoke stones skipping across water — is complete. Flatiron was the prime contractor for the $148 million project, which includes 12 acres of wetland restoration and improved access for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians to several San Diego beach communities.
The project received $138 million from the Federal Highway Administration, including $80 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Construction began in 2018 to ease traffic congestion and improve transportation across the San Diego River. The project features:
- Restoration of 12 acres of wetlands along the San Diego River
- Two parallel bridges with three lanes in each direction
- Class I shared-use paths for pedestrians and bicycles
- Roadway widening and improvements along nearby vital roadways and the I-8 off-ramp
- Total demolition and removal of the old bridge
The previous structure was constructed in the early 1950s and declared obsolete to handle increased traffic volume by the California Department of Transportation.