Starting the week of June 23, the Murray Street Bridge will be closed in both directions to vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians as the ongoing retrofit project enters a new stage.
The westbound lane – toward Seabright – has been closed since the project kicked off in March, when the City of Santa Cruz said that a full closure including the eastbound lane – toward Live Oak – could begin as early as June. At the time, that closure was expected to last 4½ months, but in a news release Thursday, the city said it’s now slated to run 7½ months, into February 2026.
MURRAY STREET BRIDGE RETROFIT: Read Lookout’s previous coverage here
The westbound lane will remain closed until January 2028 as crews work to improve seismic resilience, upgrade traffic barriers and enhance public safety on one of Santa Cruz County’s main east-west routes.
During the bridge closure, vehicles will be detoured along Soquel Avenue and Capitola Road via Seabright Avenue and 7th Avenue. Bicycles will be detoured across Arana Gulch and along Broadway via Seabright Avenue and 7th Avenue. Pedestrians will be detoured around the north harbor.
Construction work will take place Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with occasional weekend work done as needed. The city advises that these dates could change depending on project needs and utility work by Pacific Gas & Electric and Comcast.
An additional full-scale closure is expected in mid-2026 and to last three months, with vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians traveling in both directions again to be detoured around the bridge. City communication channels will provide advance notice of full bridge closures; more information and updates are available at the project website, and those interested can sign up for email updates here.
Nearby Seabright and harbor businesses will remain fully open and accessible throughout the bridge closure and construction.
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