Trying to find the right retrofit

Lolita Harper

It’s not the waters that are troubled; it’s the bridge over them that

city officials want to fix.

The Little Balboa Island bridge, which has been marked by state

transportation officials as “obsolete,” is in need of strengthening,

but city leaders, engineers and residents are at odds about whether

to retrofit the 70-year-old bridge or demolish it and start all over.

The bridge is one of four -- including the Goldenrod Avenue

pedestrian bridge and the northbound and southbound Jamboree Road

bridges over San Diego Creek -- that won federal highway funds for

retrofits that would allow them to remain standing during a magnitude

7 earthquake.

Federal transportation funds would pay for 80% of the project, and

the city would pay the remaining 20%, city engineer Lloyd Dalton

said. If officials decided to start anew, the federal government

would pay the same percentage, he said.

Newport Beach City Councilman Steve Bromberg, who lives on Little

Balboa, said he held a town hall meeting to get a sense of what the

community wanted done.

“We’re pretty democratic over there,” Bromberg said about Little

Island. “When you get something that is going to effect the entire

community, you’ve got to do outreach.”

Many residents have a very strong affection for the bridge, citing

its charm and character as a reason to retrofit. Others saw the

decision in a more practical light, pointing to the fact that a new

bridge would last an estimated 50 years -- twice as long a

strengthened, old one, Bromberg said. When he took a straw poll, the

100 people in attendance were divided.

“A number of households were split, with the wives in favor of

retrofitting and the husbands who wanted a new bridge,” Bromberg

said.

The residents of the 231 homes on Little Balboa will have the

opportunity to weigh in on the issue through an official vote, with

ballots and all, to be held sometime in the next couple of weeks,

Bromberg said. Bromberg can then give a recommendation to the City

Council, which will have the final say.

Council members should make their decision by the end of June

because the city’s Public Works Department must start the bidding

process for the project. City officials hope to start construction by

January 2006, Dalton said.

But there is more at play in the bridge debate than sentimentality

and practicality.

The cost of both projects is between $1 million and $2 million,

Bromberg said, and either would receive the same federal funding.

Both the retrofitting and the reconstruction would be “incredibly

inconvenient and disruptive,” he said.

“But that is the price we pay for living in paradise,” Bromberg

added.

Dalton, who is the project manager, said he is leaning toward

total reconstruction because he “knows 70-year-old concrete.”

“It’s like skin; after it gets a certain age, it is just

impossible to repair,” Dalton said.

The bridge is in need of major maintenance, and for virtually the

same price, residents could get a brand new bridge that would last

more than 50 years, he said. Lanes on the bridge, currently 10 feet

wide, could also be built to new standards that call for at least 12

feet, he said.

The bigger, “better” bridge could also have its drawbacks because

it would eliminate two permanent parking spaces, Bromberg said. If a

new bridge were constructed, a temporary bridge would have to be

built near Balboa Avenue and Grand Canal, he added.

“Obviously, those residents aren’t too happy with that,” the

councilman said.

There are pros and cons, and the debate will linger until the

final votes are tallied. Until then, the public outreach will

continue with more meetings and informational pamphlets, Bromberg

said.

“We just want all the information out now,” Bromberg said. “We

need to know the good and the bad, what will be inconvenient and

every conceivable option.”

* LOLITA HARPER is the enterprise and investigative reporter for

the Daily Pilot. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275 or by e-mail at

lolita.harper@latimes.com.