Murrieta council extends emergency declaration for Hayes Avenue Bridge as staff pivots to arch‑span design

The Murrieta City Council unanimously voted Oct. 7 to extend an emergency declaration for the closed Hayes Avenue Bridge at Miller Canyon Creek so staff can pursue alternative replacement designs and expedite temporary and permanent repairs.

City Engineer Jeff Hitch told the council the council’s original plan to install a box culvert under an emergency permit was rejected by regulators, prompting staff to pivot to a prefabricated steel arch span manufactured off site by a vendor identified as ConTech. Hitch said the arch span would be set on concrete footings poured on either bank and craned into place. He warned, however, that a Western Municipal Water District transmission line runs beneath the west approach and currently cannot bear load, forcing staff to work with the utility on protective measures before footings can be installed.

"We have to introduce a design concept to Western to determine what loading can be placed on that water line," Hitch said. "If they sign off on our concept, we can initiate a six‑week design and then place an order for the arch structure, which typically takes eight to 10 weeks to manufacture." He added that installation is rapid once components arrive.

Hitch described a range of options and tradeoffs: requiring Western to relocate the line (which staff estimated could take 12–18 months), replacing the bridge decking as a limited temporary fix to restore local access (estimated at roughly $250,000 but able to support only smaller vehicles), or pursuing the arch span as the preferred emergency route. He said a temporary deck replacement would likely only support approximately a 20‑ton H‑10 vehicle load — about half the roughly 40‑ton standard for a fire apparatus — and therefore might not restore full emergency‑vehicle access.

Council Member DeForest said residents on the west side frequently ask why it has taken so long and urged staff to pursue a solution that restores both resident access and first‑responder capability as soon as practicable. Hitch said staff will meet with Western the following day to present the concept and would return to council with updates.

The council voted 5‑0 to extend the emergency declaration, a step Hitch said preserves the city’s ability to use emergency contracting procedures while staff pursues the arch solution and assesses temporary alternatives.

Next steps: staff will seek Western Municipal Water District’s written response to the proposed footings concept, complete the six‑week structural design if Western signs off, and return with a procurement request to authorize purchase and manufacture of the arch span. If Western does not approve the concept, staff said they may pursue temporary decking or longer‑term utility coordination.