With a pair of giant cranes, the new Morro Creek Bridge in Morro Bay was set into place May 28, connecting for the first time the two ends of the Embarcadero, at least for bicyclists and pedestrians.
The bridge is part of the North Coast Scenic Byway and a California Coastal Trail connection. The bridge is also part of an extension of the Harborwalk project (completed in 2008) along the bay and will include a walking path and a paved bicycle path down the dirt portion of Embarcadero (off Coleman Drive at Coleman Park). The lanes for autos will remain dirt.
The bridge is some 130-feet long, made of steel and came with a rusty patina. It was manufactured by CONTEC Engineered Solutions LLC headquartered in West Chester, Ohio, and the contractor for the $1.1 million project is Cal Portland (overall construction cost is $1.2M).
The span becomes the second pedestrian/bike bridge over Morro Creek with the other located upstream at Lila Keiser Park. The new bridge allows for bicycles to get to the Embarcadero, the bay and Morro Rock without having to first climb up the hill into town and then downhill to the waterfront.
Rick Sauerwein, with the City, said the bridge was designed to account for future sea level rise and a 100-year storm levels with more than 9 inches of free flow. It’s also beefy enough to accommodate “the City’s heaviest emergency vehicle,” he said. An official opening is scheduled for July 4, during the Annual 4th of July Bike Parade.

Photos courtesy Damaris Hanson