By Jorge Casuso

December 10, 2025 -- Eight years after a new bridge leading to the Santa Monica Pier was initially scheduled to be completed, construction officially got underway this week to replace the existing 86-year old structure.

Construction crews began mobilizing onsite and staging equipment to start early fieldwork and site preparation for the $35.6 million two-year construction project, City officials announced Tuesday.

"Initial activities will include potholing and utility work, as well as widening and strengthening portions of the Pier in advance of bridge demolition and construction," officials said.

"Pier restaurants, shops and entertainment, as well as parking and visitor access, will remain open and accessible throughout construction, ensuring residents and visitors can continue to enjoy the Pier with minimal disruption."

During construction, which is largely bankrolled with Federal funds, approximately one-third of the parking lot area at Beach Parking Lot 1 North, adjacent to the Pier, will be used as the construction staging area.

About 726 parking spaces will remain available during construction, and wayfinding signage is being installed to direct drivers to multiple alternate parking locations near the Pier.

A temporary ramp will be constructed on the lot allowing cars, trucks and emergency vehicles to access the Pier parking deck.

Next month, the Pier's iconic sign will be removed for rehabilitation and a temporary vehicle and pedestrian ramp will be installed. The ramp is scheduled to be completed in April.

Demolition of the bridge, which connects Ocean and Colorado avenues to the Pier, will take place from May to August 2027, three decades after the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) deemed the structure “structurally deficient” and “functionally obsolete.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caltrans found the bridge built in 1939 has inadequate seismic strength, its sidewalks and lanes are too narrow and the angle too steep for wheelchairs and bicycles to cross safely.

Initial plans by the City to rehabilitate the bridge were rejected by Caltrans, which noted that the project would not be cost-effective and could not receive federal funding.

Construction of the new bridge is scheduled to begin in August and be completed in December 2027, with the rehabilitated Pier sign -- which will have a vertical clearance of 17 feet -- installed about 10 feet north of its current location.

Between July and October 2027, the temporary vehicle and pedestrian bridge will be removed and Parking Lot 1 North will be restored.

The new structure, which meets modern seismic and safety standards, will be wider than the existing bridge and will maintain one traffic lane in each direction, while expanding walkways and adding new lighting and railing.

Its 39-foot width, which is 5 feet wider to the north than the current structure, includes a 15-foot sidewalk that will be moved to the south side of the bridge and a 20-foot roadway for bicycles and vehicles.

The new 447-foot bridge will also be less steep than the current 500-foot long structure, making it safe for those on bicycles and in wheelchairs to cross, City officials said.

The project is expected to be completed "well ahead" of the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games and have a service life of 75 years, officials said.