Quick Take
One week after reopening the Murray Street Bridge to alternating one-lane, two-way traffic, the city will revert the road to eastbound-only starting Tuesday. City officials observed severe congestion and unsafe driving behavior created gridlock on nearby neighborhood streets.
One week after reopening as a two-way thoroughfare, the Murray Street Bridge will go down to one-lane, eastbound-only traffic due to safety issues, the city announced Monday in a media release.
Starting Tuesday, the bridge will be open to one-way eastbound-only for vehicles and bicycles, and both ways for pedestrians – the same setting before the two-way pilot.
The two-way traffic pattern operating with a one-way light was a pilot to see if it would improve access to the Seabright and Santa Cruz Harbor areas. Instead both sides of the bridge experienced intense gridlock, with cars backed up as much as half a mile on neighborhood streets, according to what drivers shared with Lookout and on social media.
City staff observed dangerous behavior, including cars and bicycles entering the bridge against the signal and drivers making illegal U-turns while stuck in traffic. They were also concerned that the gridlock would make it difficult for emergency responders to navigate the area.
“Based on these observations and community feedback, the city will return the bridge to the previous eastbound-only configuration, which provided more consistent traffic flow during construction,” a representative said in the release. Community members have suggested other options, including alternating travel directions at different times of day. The city considered these ideas, but concluded they would result in the same issues, officials said.
The city originally planned to open the bridge to eastbound traffic only, and warned in a media release at the end of February that increased congestion on nearby streets could occur if the bridge opened to one-lane, two-way traffic. Local groups eager to improve access to the area after a nine-month closure pushed for the city to open it both ways.
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