Jennifer Horne from Rep. Doug LaMalfa's office, Nevada County staff, representatives from the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the Save Our Bridge Campaign Committee, the South Yuba River Park Association, and the Friends of North Bloomfield and Malakoff Diggins met Jan. 12 to discuss the upcoming projects in the South Yuba River and Malakoff Diggins State Historic Parks.
According to a news release, the two projects will include the reconstruction of the Bridgeport Covered Bridge in the South Yuba River State Park and energy efficiency improvements to Malakoff Diggins State Park. Both projects are planned to start construction in August 2018.
"After six years of hard work and planning, I am pleased that construction on both projects will start later this year," said District 4 Supervisor Hank Weston. "Neither of the projects would have been achieved without the South Yuba River Park Association and Save Our Bridge Campaign Committee who lead the charge on these initiatives, and the support of multiple local agencies, nonprofits, and volunteers who are passionate about keeping these historic sites open and true to their historic nature for residents and tourists to enjoy."
Bridgeport Covered Bridge
After being closed to foot traffic in 2011, the historic Bridgeport Covered Bridge has been allocated the state funding necessary to complete its restoration, the release states. The 155-year-old bridge will be reconstructed with the same historic appearance (following the Secretary of the Interior's historic replacement standards) which will allow pedestrian and horse-drawn wagons to cross; similar to the traffic which crossed the bridge in 1862.
Department of Parks and Recreation staff reported bridge construction could start as early as August 2018, depending on final approvals from the Office of Historic Preservation, the Federal Highway Administration, and awarding the contract to a qualified contractor for the project. The reconstruction will include raising the bridge 18 inches to allow for higher river levels, and hidden new structural elements to ensure the future integrity of the bridge. The project also includes replacement of some of the existing interior support structures, roof, wall and other failing structural elements as needed.
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The construction project will likely cause temporary closures of South Yuba River State Park parking lots and beach areas near the Bridge. However, once construction has begun, the contractor will be required to complete the reconstruction of the bridge within one year, allowing the hundreds of thousands of annual visitors to the park to cross the Bridgeport Bridge again after years of closure.
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park's Solar and Energy Efficiency Project includes the installation of a 60kW solar panel array, installing an efficient back-up generator, and replacing existing fixtures with updated energy efficient LED lighting, HVAC, and gas hot water heaters.
According to a release, these energy efficiency improvements will replace the park's large diesel generator that currently runs 24 hours per day, seven days a week creating substantial cost savings. Construction is estimated to take five months before it is completed, but is not expected to disturb visitors to the park.
This project is a first of its kind for the California State Park system, the release states, and will make Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park the first "green" State Park, running almost exclusively on solar power.
Source: Nevada County CEO's Office
https://www.theunion.com/news/local-news/bridgeport-malakoff-state-park-projects-to-begin-in-august-2018/
