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Rio Vista Bridge still broken, more closures expected

Overnight closures are expected as repairs continue on the Rio Vista Bridge. And locals and commuters are not happy about it.

Remember when the Rio Vista Bridge got stuck in the "up" position for nearly 10 hours? It happened nearly three weeks ago and there have been overnight closures ever since.

"People are frustrated everywhere around town, visitors coming into town and visitors coming into work," Zahna Smith, an Isleton resident said.

Smith lives in a town next door to Rio Vista and, in order to get to work everyday at Lira's Supermarket, she uses the Rio Vista Bridge.

"It's wearing on me," she said.

On a good day it takes 10 to 15 minutes to get to work.

"It's very stressful. You have to plan ahead and make sure to give myself enough time to get to work. If the bridge is closed, it takes about an hour and a half to two hours," she said.

Every few days, Caltrans closes the bridge at night in order to let ships pass. When that happens, Smith is forced to go out of her way and take two different ferries to get home.

"And I have a small child at home, and a husband, and everybody's waiting on me, so it is pretty frustrating," she said.

"The only alternate routes are the ferries and they back up, so it's really an imposition," Laura Scheidegger, owner of the Delta Farmers Market said.

Nearby businesses, like the Delta Farmers Market, aren't happy either.

"This past Sunday there was construction on Highway 12, in addition to the bridge being forced up for the day. We didn't even open. It was a ghost town here," Scheidegger said.

Caltrans says a mechanical issue with one of the gear boxes is preventing the bridge from working the way it is supposed to.

Weeks after the incident, Caltrans says those gear boxes have been sent back to the manufacturer in Alabama for repairs. And while they say they have expedited the process, they may not be ready until mid-September. In the meantime, they are expecting more nighttime closures and they're asking folks to plan ahead.

"Everyday it seems like a different closure time or a different time that they're going to be closed. It's very frustrating," Smith said.

The Rio Vista Bridge will be closed again Monday night from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

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