RTC outlines Sierra Street bridge replacement, warns of prolonged downtown impacts and 2027 closure

The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) on April 6 told the Reno Redevelopment Agency advisory board it plans to replace the structurally deficient Sierra Street bridge rather than rehabilitate it, citing crumbling concrete and exposed rebar on a 1937 structure.

"The bridge is starting to show the wear and errors of a bridge," said Brian Burn, public manager at RTC. He added: "It is safe for people to use" now, but the condition and costs of repair mean demolition and replacement was preferred after an alternatives analysis.

RTC said the project is funded with a mix of federal and local sources: $4.7 million in federal transportation block grant funds, $22.1 million from federal bridge formula funds through INDOT, and $6.8 million of local fuel tax. The work will increase the sidewalk width from about 8 feet to 10.5 feet, add midspan overlooks for pedestrians, reduce parking on the bridge to roughly four or five spaces, shift to a single river pier to reduce debris collection, improve sight lines, and install more permanent rapid‑flashing beacons and bulb‑outs at crosswalks.

The design team emphasized tradeoffs. Burn said a single‑span solution similar to the nearby Virginia Street bridge would have required a higher deck elevation that could have wiped out adjacent properties and unsafe sight lines; the chosen two‑span option was described as a balance between hydraulic and business impacts.

RTC engineering manager Amanda Caligaryi summarized outreach that began in 2023, including an aesthetic stakeholder working group of merchants, tribes, consultants and city staff, multiple public information meetings tied to the NEPA process, one‑on‑one business visits and a planned business breakfast to brief owners on April 29.

Downtown business owners and board members pressed the agency on mitigation. Speakers referenced earlier construction on Arlington Street and said some businesses lost large revenue shares during prior projects. RTC and city staff said federal funding rules limit direct compensation to businesses and that eligible uses do not typically include direct subsidies for lost revenue. Instead, staff outlined available mitigation tools: condensed schedules and preconstruction services paid for by the project, coordinated construction phasing to avoid peak seasons, marketing and activation programs (some supported through ARPA), weekly coordination during construction, and targeted delivery and access plans.

"We have been very thoughtful about our design," Caligaryi said, noting the agency brought a contractor onto the design team early to refine construction sequencing and compress the schedule.

RTC presented a tentative traffic‑control plan: temporary conversion of Sierra Street into two‑way traffic on the south side to preserve garage and delivery access, midblock pedestrian detours along the riverwalk, a staging yard for materials and drilled‑shaft work, and a one‑way conversion of First Street between Sierra and Virginia to create loading zones during construction. The most disruptive construction is expected between June and September during drilled shafts, with in‑river work allowed by permit between July 1 and Oct. 31.

RTC said the bridge will be fully closed starting in April 2027 and is expected to reopen in spring 2028, though staff cautioned that in‑river season constraints and weather or flood events could extend the schedule into a second season. Officials said they are pursuing construction innovations intended to complete the work in one season.

Board members urged additional steps to protect businesses. Several suggested the RDA pursue more robust marketing and activation funding and asked staff to explore whether the city could provide temporary subsidies or other tailored support. Staff said they would research possible tools, though they noted constraints tied to federalized funding and the current availability of city programs.

The board and RTC scheduled more outreach, including the April business breakfast and ongoing business coordination, and asked staff to return with more detailed staging and mitigation plans as design reaches completion.