Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit and Barrier Rail Project

Current Impacts and Detours: Murray Street Bridge is currently closed to all vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. It will reopen to eastbound vehicle and bicycle traffic in February 2026. Two-way pedestrian access across the bridge will reopen in February 2026. The westbound lane will remain closed until the project is completed in January 2028.

Harbor Access Path: The east harbor access path located under the bridge is closed to bike and pedestrian traffic through January 2026.

The free Santa Cruz Harbor Water Taxi service has been extended through October on Fridays and weekends. Learn more.

Project Infographic

View Larger
(PDF, 1MB) (PDF, 1MB)

News and Updates

• 7.23.25 Email: Murray Street Bridge Pile Driving Begins This Week
• 7.9.25 Email: East Harbor Pedestrian Access closed starting Monday, July 14
• 6.5.25 Press Release: Murray Street Bridge Full Closure Begins June 23
• 5.16.25 Email: Murray Street Bridge Harbor Access Path Closure Dates
• 4.22.25 Email: Updated Murray Street Bridge Harbor Access Path Closure Schedule
• 4.16.25 Email: Murray Street Bridge Harbor Access Path Closures
• 3.19.25 Press Release: Murray Street Bridge Westbound Lane Closure Begins March 24
• 3.19.25 Email: Murray Street Bridge Westbound Lane Closure Begins March 24
• 3.7.25 Email: Murray Street Bridge Community Meeting
• 2.14.25 Press Release: City of Santa Cruz Begins Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit and Barrier Replacement Project

Project Overview

The City of Santa Cruz Murray Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit and Barrier Replacement Project aims to enhance public safety, improve seismic resilience, and upgrade the bridge's traffic barriers. The project will install new piles, extend the existing pile caps to incorporate the new piles, construct a new line of columns, place new bent caps, and widen the bridge deck.

In addition to making the bridge more resilient to earthquakes, the project will result in a bridge deck with 6-foot-wide bike lanes and a 7.5-foot-wide sidewalk along the south (ocean) side to support a two-way pedestrian path. The current elevated curbs along the bike lanes will be replaced with standard 6-inch-high curbs to improve the bicycle user experience. In addition, the current solid concrete vehicular barrier will be replaced with see-through barrier rails, allowing for better harbor and ocean views. A new County sewer force main serving Live Oak, Capitola, Soquel, and Aptos will also be upsized and included in the project

Traffic Impacts and Detours

Full Bridge Closures

Beginning the week of June 23, 2025, both the westbound and eastbound lanes of the Murray Street Bridge are closed for vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians to facilitate demolition and construction activities. The full bridge closure is scheduled to last roughly seven and a half (7.5) months and will reopen to eastbound vehicle and bicycle traffic in February 2026.

• Two-way pedestrian access across the bridge will reopen in February 2026.
• The westbound lane will remain closed until the project is completed in January 2028.
• A second full bridge closure is expected to start early to mid-2026 and last three (3) months to allow essential project work to continue. 

During full bridge closures, vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians traveling in both eastbound and westbound directions will be detoured around the bridge.

• Vehicles will be detoured around the bridge closure via Soquel Ave., Seabright Ave., and 7th Ave.
• Bicycles will be detoured across Arana Gulch/Broadway via Seabright Ave. and 7th Ave.
• Pedestrians will be detoured around the north harbor.

View the Full Closure Detour Map(PDF, 2MB)

Westbound Lane Closure

Beginning March 24, 2025, the westbound bridge lane is closed to vehicles and bicycles and will remain closed until the project is completed in January 2028.

• Eastbound vehicle and bicycle traffic will remain open (outside of full bridge closures).
• Two-way pedestrian access across the bridge will remain open (outside of full bridge closures).

During westbound lane closures, vehicles and bicycles traveling westbound will be detoured around the bridge.

• Vehicles will be detoured around the bridge closure via Soquel Ave., Seabright Ave., and 7th Ave.
• Bicycles will be detoured across Arana Gulch/Broadway via Seabright Ave. and 7th Ave. 
• Two-way pedestrian access across the bridge will remain open (outside of full bridge closures).
• Eastbound vehicle and bicycle traffic will remain open (outside of full bridge closures).

View the Westbound Lane Closure Detour Map(PDF, 2MB)

Harbor Access Path Closures

• Beginning July 14, 2025, the east harbor access path is closed and is expected to reopen in January 2026.
• The west harbor access path will be intermittently closed for the first half of 2027.
• The east harbor access path will be intermittently closed for the second half of 2027.

Harbor Impacts

Boat Traffic

Boats will have continued access under the bridge throughout the project, ensuring minimal disruption to this mode of transport.

Harbor Water Taxi

The free Santa Cruz Harbor Water Taxi operates during the summer, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, on Thursdays, Fridays, weekends, and holidays. Learn more.

Construction Impacts

Please note that the following dates and durations are tentative and subject to change.

Construction Activities

• Construction hours are Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Activities such as pile driving, excavation, and heavy equipment operation will generate noise.
• Dust control measures, including water spraying and covered stockpiles, will be implemented to reduce airborne particles.

Pile Driving

Construction work includes pile driving, a process where long steel tubes, called “piles,” are driven deep into the ground to form a strong foundation. This involves a crane-mounted hammer repeatedly striking the hollow steel piles, which will generate loud noise. The piles will be driven deep into the bedrock beneath the harbor.

• The first round of pile driving is scheduled to take place from July 24, 2025, through October 2025, during construction hours.
• The second round of pile driving is scheduled to take place from June 15, 2026, through October 2026, during construction hours.

Public Safety and Emergency Services

The work zone will be fenced and secured throughout the project. Do not enter construction areas for safety reasons. The City is working with local agencies to ensure that transportation services, road maintenance, and emergency response planning align with project timelines and anticipated traffic disruptions.   

Environmental Controls

Wildlife protections are in place and project environmental measures include, but are not limited to bat roosting surveys, nesting bird surveys, and fish habitat monitoring to minimize ecological impact.