The Stanislaus County Department of Public Works, in cooperation with the City of Modesto, the California Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration, is replacing the historic Seventh Street Bridge over the Tuolumne River to correct structural and hydraulic deficiencies, increase the capacity of the Seventh Street corridor, and improve safety for vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. The project has been environmentally cleared in compliance with both the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The existing bridge is a rare surviving example of a cantilevered concrete (“canticrete”) arched bridge, consisting of steel trusses encased in concrete. The 1,170-foot long bridge was built in 1916 for $110,000 and is composed of a series of 14 arched spans. Although the bridge is open to traffic, it has been weight restricted to 4 tons gross load since 1979.

The new 1,238-foot long 8-span arched concrete box girder bridge will carry two lanes of traffic in each direction. The 79-foot wide bridge will also accommodate Class II Bike Lanes in each direction and separated combined use paths on both the east and west sides. The bridge profile has been raised to meet current hydraulic design requirements, and the design features eight arched concrete spans that honor the character of the original 1916 structure. All four iconic lion statues will be preserved. Full roadway closure is required during construction since the proposed alignment is coincident with the existing bridge alignment.

Construction began in January 2026, and the bridge fully closed to all traffic on March 16, 2026. The bridge will remain closed for approximately two years while the existing structure is demolished and the new bridge is built. Completion is expected in late 2027 or early 2028. The total project cost is $134 million, funded primarily through a $92 million federal grant, $15 million from Caltrans, and local Measure L sales tax revenue. MCM Construction, Inc. is the general contractor.

For questions or information, contact the project hotline at (209) 693-6976, email construction@pw.stancounty.info, or visit 7thstreetbridge.org.