The City of San Diego Monday reopened the historic Cabrillo Bridge to vehicle traffic as a $38 million, five-month-long refurbishment neared completion.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer, City Council President Todd Gloria and Caltrans officials stood with construction workers on the bridge to announce the reopening. Shortly afterward, a caravan of classic cars drove across the bridge from both directions.
Faulconer praised the construction crews for overcoming unique challenges in repairing the bridge, which was built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition.
“This bridge will last another hundred years for generations of San Diegans to enjoy,” Faulconer said.
The 770-foot-long bridge over State Route 163 has been closed since January for seismic retrofitting. Work under the project will continue into the fall with the addition of landscaping and exterior lighting.
Museums and cultural institutions on the west side of Balboa Park are hoping to see increases in attendance now that the bridge is reopned.
