Work on repairing the Stanislaus River Bike & Pedestrian Bridge began this week.

Public Works Director James Pease made that announcement at Tuesday’s Ripon City Council meeting at part of his staff report.

He’s estimating completion to be done in the “next three to four weeks.”

The Stanislaus River Bike & Pedestrian Bridge has been closed for safety reasons since Oct. 22, 2023.

A tree fell on to the 65-foot segment of the span as a result of a powerful windstorm, causing significant damage. Upon inspection by a licensed structural engineer, the bridge was deemed unsafe for public use.

Multiple contractors evaluated several repair options during the past year – they looked at temporary shoring, permanent in-place restoration through use of heat treatment, and added structural reinforcement.

The City of Ripon went with the final recommendation from the structural engineer that called for replacing the damaged segment of the bridge. This was followed soon after with the purchase of a replacement truss bridge segment from Contech Engineering Solutions.

Cost of that was $107,565, paid via insurance provider.

Meanwhile, the cost of repairs is being shared between the City of Ripon, Stanislaus County, and the San Joaquin Council of Governments.

“This collaboration underscores the importance of restoring the bridge to a safe and functional state for the benefit of all community members who rely on it for pedestrian and cycling activities,” the City of Ripon said on its website about a year ago.