Note: Other Truxel Bridge posts are available under the category ‘Truxel Bridge‘.

One of the City of Sacramento’s justifications for the motor vehicle-transit-walking-bicycling Truxel Bridge is that walking and bicycling pathways are flooded at times of the year, and therefore inaccessible.

One access route frequently used by bicyclists and some walkers is from Jibboom Street bridge to Garden Highway at Natomas Park Drive. Jibboom Bridge and Garden Highway are above flood level, but the route in between, through Discovery Park, via the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail (referred to as Parkway Trail from here on), or the parking lots, is subject to flooding. In one year, it was flooded for several weeks, but usually, the flooding is shorter term, and some years it does not flood.

Another route is the Sacramento Northern Bikeway, from 19th Street, across the Pipe’s Bridge (or Pipe Bridge) over the American River, and connecting with the Jedidiah Smith Parkway trail. The section from 19th Street, to where the bikeway descends north of the bridge, is not subject to flooding. From here to the Parkway Trail, it is subject to flooding, but much less than Discovery Park. The section underneath the Hwy 160 bridge, and particularly under the railway bridge, is most often flooded. Again, there have been a few years with prolonged flooding, many with temporary flooding, and some with no flooding. The photo below shows one flooding episode, December 2016.

Bicyclists and walkers can also use Northgate Blvd, which leads to Garden Highway and on into south Natomas. However, Northgate is also subject to flooding during some flood events, between the Hwy 160 interchange and the bridge which crosses Steelhead Creek. Another route is to turn onto Del Paso Blvd, but the underpass of the railroad and the levee flood gates on the south side are also flooded during major events.

To the east, the next flood-free crossing is five miles to the H Street/Fair Oaks Blvd bridge, with a narrow walking/bicycling area on the south side of the bridge, or 5.5 miles to Guy West Bridge at Sacramento State, which is a dedicated walking/bicycling bridge.

So the question of flooding is significant. But is Truxel Bridge the only solution?

Specific locations along the Sacramento Northern Bikeway and Parkway Trail could be elevated to eliminate flooding during minor flooding events. In particular, the Sacramento Northern Trail approaching the junction with the Parkway Trail, and the short segment of the Parkway Trail under the railroad bridge, could be elevated to be above some flooding levels. This would be a low-cost project, far less than the $500M Truxel Bridge project. Of course during major flood events, access would still be cut off. But that is true of many of the off-street Class 1 trails in the area. Many locations along the Parkway Trail are subject to flooding, and it is not unusual for segments to be flooded due to river levels or ponding.

Interestingly, Sacramento County Regional Parks has not solved any of the flooding locations, despite being requested many, many times by Parkway Trail users. The section at the junction of Sacramento Northern Bikeway and Parkway Trail is just one example. Sacramento County gets $1M per year from Measure A to maintain the Parkway Trail for both recreational and transportation use, but the only work that has been done in years is the repaving of some short sections.

• Truxel Bridge