The I street bridge is a two-deck swing bridge structure that carries a two-lane road on the upper deck, and the double-tracked UP mainline on the lower deck. For several years, a plan has been stewing to build a brand-new bridge over the Sacramento river for car and pedestrian traffic about a mile south of the current I street bridge, in order to bring Broadway (just south of the Highway 50 overcrossing) over the river.
If the funding application is approved by both city councils, and then accepted by the Federal Government, a new bridge is expected to be constructed and in service by 2018.
However, the old I street bridge will not be torn down. The upper deck will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, but the lower deck will still be used for all train traffic (UP, Capitol Corridor, Coast Starlight, and California Zephyr.)
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