American River Constructors (ARC), the joint venture (JV) of Granite Construction and California Engineering Contractors, are less than a year away from completing the $216-million CM/GC I-80 American River Bridge Rehabilitation Project. Completion is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.

New lane construction work continues on the west side of the bridge structure.

The overall scope of work includes:

  • The removal and replacement of the existing concrete deck;
  • The removal and replacement of the steel girder post-tensioning systems in spans one and two;
  • Construction of the substructure that will support the widening of the bridge 54 feet to the east, expanding the shoulder to accommodate traffic-lane shifting during construction, minimizing back-ups;
  • Installation of sheet piling around piers for scour mitigation;
  • Construction of concrete catcher blocks for earthquake resistance;
  • Construction of a Class 1 bike/pedestrian path on the bridge that will connect to existing bike trails; and
  • Modification of existing sound walls.

A new feature being constructed is the concrete bike ramp up to the bridge structure, which will provide a river crossing from the American River levee bike trail to the main, paved American River Bike Trail on the other side of the river, along with providing access to Cal Expo.

“The ARB Team (Caltrans and ARC) accomplished the nearly impossible task of addressing all regulatory and environmental permitting issues that allowed us to start construction in the floodplain in 2022,” stated Granite Project Executive George Delano. “The communication, collaboration, and responsiveness with the various permitting agencies have been the key to that success. The team worked closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, coordinating our work with their efforts in armoring the levees along the river near the bridge. This ongoing communication enabled an accelerated approval process for all of the required permits from all of the involved agencies.”

Drone shot of the newly placed concrete on the west side of the structure.


“The ARB Project Team has done an amazing job working together to deliver the initial projects,” George Delano explained. “We’re well on our way to successfully completing the project in the first quarter of 2026.”

Big thanks and a tip of the hard hat to Granite Project Executive George Delano for all of his kind assistance and contributions to this story.