Lake Havasu City staff presented a 30% design status update on Sept. 23 for the proposed second London Bridge crossing and associated roadway improvements, outlining agency permitting, schedule milestones and preliminary value-engineering savings.

Project manager Jason Hart said the city completed a feasibility study in June 2024, hired NV5 for design in October 2024 and submitted 30% bridge design on Sept. 9, 2025. He said the environmental-assessment (EA) permit with the U.S. Coast Guard was submitted July 31, 2025, and that agency processes can take up to one year. Hart presented a design schedule that targets 60% bridge design by February 2026, a hoped-for EA permit issuance in April 2026, 100% design by July 2026 and construction starting in 2027, with construction expected to last 18'24 months.

Hart and staff identified the agencies involved: the Arizona Department of Transportation, Arizona State Lands (island side), Arizona State Parks (mainland side), Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Coast Guard. Hart described a recent alignment change that shortened the bridge and said the revised location could save "approximately $3,000,000" in construction cost; city staff cautioned that the savings depend on State Land finalizing a perpetual-lease legal description.

Public comment was extensive and focused on intersection design, potential use of roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, evacuation routing for emergencies, and the effect of a second bridge on future island development. Several citizens and council members pressed staff for more robust traffic modeling, pedestrian safety measures near the state-park access, and for outreach before finalizing intersection concepts. Multiple speakers, including attendees experienced with roundabouts, said roundabouts can confuse drivers and may be unsafe for older residents and pedestrians without controlled crosswalks; staff said the intersection concepts are discussion starters and that council direction and community feedback would guide choices at the 60% design stage.

City staff also described right-of-way work with State Lands and BLM and said pile/footing work will use standard geotechnical construction methods rather than rock abutments in this location. Staff reminded the council that the project has a legislative appropriation of $35,500,000 and that bridge alignment changes and the $3,000,000 potential savings require a State Land signature to finalize the legal description.

No action was taken; the presentation was for council and public engagement. Staff said they will return with 60% design materials and refined cost estimates for council consideration.