Seaside's closed San Pablo Pedestrian Bridge now has the money it needs for a full replacement.
State Sen. John Laird secured $550,000 in state funding for the project, the City of Seaside announced on Facebook. Combined with $850,000 in federal funding that U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, secured through a congressional appropriations package, the state money brings the project's public funding to $1.4 million.
Laird, Seaside Mayor Ian Oglesby and other city officials plan to make the announcement at a press conference Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Lincoln Cunningham Park, 1700 San Pablo Ave. The event is scheduled for 2 p.m.
The pedestrian bridge, built in 1960, connects Lincoln Cunningham Park and Manzanita Stuart Park. It has been closed since 2023 because of erosion and structural deterioration, according to KSBW. The closure cut off a walking route used by families and students in the surrounding neighborhood.
Panetta's office announced the federal share in a press release in February, describing the $850,000 as support for "two phases of the San Pablo Pedestrian Bridge's demolition and reconstruction." That funding was part of more than $15 million Panetta secured for 14 projects across California's 19th Congressional District.
An April event at the bridge site drew Panetta, Oglesby and other local leaders to mark the federal funding, the Monterey Herald reported. The Seaside City Council also discussed a new bridge design in September, according to the Herald. The outcome of that discussion has not been publicly confirmed.
The specific state funding mechanism Laird used to secure the $550,000 has not been identified. Laird represents Senate District 17, which covers all of Monterey County.
Wednesday's press conference at Lincoln Cunningham Park is open to the public, with street parking available near the bridge site.
