SAN BERNARDINO – (INT) – The cash-strapped city has hit another roadblock in its decade-long effort to replace the Mt. Vernon Avenue bridge that spans the BNSF railroad yards.

Estimated costs have ballooned to $90 million putting into limbo the design phase of the project.

Mike Grubds in the City Engineering Department says BNSF insists on wanting the bridge extended and will support a larger share of the cost if it’s profit-related. The Federal Highway Administration wants the bridge built so it can be lengthened at a later time.

Commercial trucks have been banned from the bridge for several years because of earthquake safety concerns that were first voiced more than 10-years ago.

An environmental assessment was approved by the FHA in 2011 and the final design was expected to take 18 months. The city filed for bankruptcy a year later.

With the outlook dim, Grubds says the bridge may be eventually closed.

Story Date: September 3, 2015