MARYSVILLE, Calif. — Last week, a big rig crashed into a railroad trestle in Marysville on Highway 70 near 18th Street. It closed the road and it wasn't the first time it’s happened either.
Some locals refer to the underpass as the 'can opener.' The good news is improvements are on the horizon for the area.
The improvements to the Marysville Railroad Underpass are part of what’s called the State Route 70 Binney Junction Roadway and Complete Streets project.
Project manager Cameron Knudson works with Caltrans and says there have been many bridge hits over the past few years.
"One, two, three times a year maybe, we’ll get some bridge hits," said Knudson.
He says the typical truck is around 13-feet tall. The northbound side of the underpass allows for 13' 10" inches of clearance and 14' 1" southbound.
Marysville resident Beth Smith says the low clearance is a big problem for trucks coming through here.
"I live right around the corner and you can hear the trucks hit the underpass," said Smith. "Truck drivers can't make it through."
Knudsen says the bridge is well-marked with multiple signs warning of the clearance and marking an alternate route for larger trucks.
The new project will create 17' 6" of clearance, which Knudson says meets the highway standard of 16' 6". It’ll also improve the sidewalk, create larger shoulders and include work on a bridge to the north called the Binney Junction Railroad Underpass. New bridges will be built for trains, then they'll lower the highway.
"We will be able to get the taller loads through. We will provide 17’6" of vertical clearance under the new structures," said Knudson.
Construction is set to start in Jan. 2025. Knudson says they're currently in the design phase for the bridges and Caltrans is working with the railroad and the Army Corps of Engineers for the improvements.
