July 13, 2023 – The City of Clovis once again held a workshop in order to discuss the future project that will be the bridge crossing the 168 freeway near the Enterprise Canal.
This bridge has been in talks since 2015, with this being officially the third sort of meeting to discuss topics related to the future development.
Original funds for the bridge are from the state government, and are currently being used solely for the bridge and cannot be used for other projects.
This development will come via federal and state grants, however, most of the discussion still relies on which type of bridge will be selected.
Once a style of bridge is selected, then the City of Clovis will have the option of choosing which funds and grants are available in order to pay for the bridge itself.
Grants already being used are for the sole purpose of pre-planning for the bridge, with the last two focus group meetings coming as prime examples.
What was discussed at the meeting therefore was what was mostly discussed at the first meeting held in January, the selection of which type of bridge should be built. Insert link of last article)
Three different types of bridges were discussed, the three being a box-girder bridge, cable-stay bridge, and a tied-arch bridge. Each of these three bridges are being designed with style, accessibility and affordability in mind.
A box-girder bridge, the most basic style of bridge and one that is seen at many junctures throughout the Valley, is also the lowest cost.
Again, the City of Clovis will be applying for different types of grants from federal and state governments in order to build this project, but will eventually have to use some of their general funds in order to complete it.
The box-girder will be around $15-20 million total cost. The next option is the tied-arch span bridge which is around $25-30 million. The final option is the cable-span bridge which is around $30-35 million.
The term “instagrammable” came up at several junctures of the discussion with residents and leaders of the meeting stating that a large portion of the bridge should be dedicated towards creating a photogenic destination for Clovis residents.
Nonetheless, the discussion ended in another poll which should now be brought to the city council.
That poll ended with the cable-stayed bridge option coming out with the most votes. The box-girder fell behind and the tied-arch bridge came in last amongst the small focus group.
The Clovis City Council should be taking this poll and other opinions into consideration when making the decision on which type of bridge will be selected. That process of choosing a type however will not be complete until 2025.