The Del Rio Trail Bridge, which connects downtown to South Sacramento, is officially
reopened to the public and ready for use, the city of Sacramento announced.
The map of the Del Rio Trail with the bridge located over I-5 near Land Park.Photo courtesy of the City of Sacramento
The newly rebuilt bridge crosses Interstate 5 near the zoo and was originally slated to open in 2024, but it didn’t meet the city’s safety standards.
In August, the city began working to complete the bridge which would be the final piece of the Del Rio Trail Project.
Mayor Kevin McCarty said the city made the trail, which used to be an abandoned rail line, into an active transportation bike and pedestrian bridge.
“We have an amazing bridge across the freeway that connects Land Park to the River Bike Trail, and allows people who are runners, cyclists, mother nature lovers, or people trying to get to work to be able to utilize this as a bike path bridge,” he said. “It’s a big day for the City of Sacramento as we zero in on connectivity.”
Councilmember Rick Jennings, of District 7, said he hopes pedestrians enjoy being able to utilize the bridge.
“It’s just a tremendous amenity of being able to see the trains go by, to be able to see the river, you know, all with your family, and just enjoy where you live and things that you’ve never seen before.”
Jennings said the bridge in 2024 didn’t stand up to the test of safety and performance.
“So here we are again, now getting it done the right way,” Jennings said. ”This bridge has been inspected, has been looked at, and is a bridge that will stand the test of time and one that will give us a safe environment.”
Capital District Superintendent of California State Parks John Fraser said he collaborated with the city to make sure the work didn’t impact railroad operations. Fraser believes the bridge connects everyone together.
“As the mayor talked about earlier, people come to enjoy downtown through this corridor,” he said. “People are going to come to work through this corridor. It’s part of how we stay healthy together. It’s just a really important connectivity tool for the city.”
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