Building bridges? Not yet

It’s been hanging over Newport-Mesa for years. Some see it as a savior.

Others say it will ruin neighborhoods. It’s difficult to say that some

day, as more houses go up and more people move into the area, a bridge

over the Santa Ana River won’t be needed.

But where and when that bridge might be built is anyone’s guess, and not

just a few people’s fight. At 19th Street? Perhaps at 17th? Maybe Gisler

Avenue?

The cities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa each have much at stake in

that decision, even if they don’t have much in common.

A bridge at 19th Street would ruin parts of the West Side, Costa Mesa

officials and many residents say. But Newport officials counter that

without a bridge, Newport Beach will become a city of gridlock.

A county study to determine the need for a bridge, which might offer some

answers to many lingering questions, has repeatedly been delayed. Maybe

it won’t hold the answers, after all.

The Daily Pilot takes a look at the state of the great bridge debate on

Pages A10-11.