A new bridge across La Rue Road over the Arboretum Waterway onto California Avenue recently replaced a 70-year-old structure. The two-year construction project brought with it necessary improvements and takes inspiration from an older bridge nearby. Campus landscape architect Christina De Martini Reyes designed the new bridge and described the design back in 2019 as “a big, graceful idea in a contrasting material that would stand out enough to make an impact but be understated at the same time.”

Photography by Anjie Cook/UC Davis

Wider Sidewalks and New Bike Lanes

The new bridge features wider sidewalks and new bike lanes on each side, as well as safety barriers placed between the bikers and pedestrians. Previously, cars shared the limited space with bicyclists.

More Headroom

Paths underneath the bridge were recently regraded and lowered to allow for more headroom. In the past, people crossing through needed to duck their heads due to lack of space below the bridge. 

New Staircases

The bridge project also improved upon the steep ramps down and up from the paths along the waterway. Two ramps are now universally accessible, and the other two — which had been the steepest — have been converted to staircases.