Caltrans plans full westbound closure of Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge Aug. 21–24; bike and pedestrian path to close

Caltrans officials told the Benicia City Council they will close the westbound lanes of the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge for a weekend resurfacing that will remove and replace the top inch of asphalt on the bridge deck.

Sabrina Martinez, Solano county public information officer for Caltrans, said the closure will begin Friday, Aug. 21 at 10:00 p.m. and run through Aug. 24, reopening at about 3:00 a.m. "The schedule for this closure will start on Friday, August 21 from 10PM. It'll go through August 24 and open up at 3 3AM in the morning," Martinez said, adding that crews will also inspect waterproofing and do spot repairs.

The work will be a full westbound closure; eastbound lanes will remain open, Caltrans said. Bart Ney, Caltrans' office chief of public affairs for the Bay Area, said the agency will deploy changeable message signs (CMS) and mobile detour signs on I-80 and adjacent highways two weeks before the closure and run regional media buys, including paid messages that may reach as far as Reno. Caltrans will operate a closure hotline and post project information on its website and social media.

Council members pressed Caltrans about sign placement and detour routing. Vice Mayor Muszinski urged that CMS and digital signage be placed farther south (around Cordelia and Vallejo) so drivers do not travel deep into the Benicia area before learning of the closure. Ney said Caltrans would review options for additional signage to reduce the number of vehicles diverted into Benicia.

A remote participant asked whether the bicycle and pedestrian path would be closed; Ney confirmed the path would be closed "for safety and security reasons." Martinez said Caltrans will add that detail to its public presentation materials and noted contacts for the project's public-information team.

Caltrans identified local contacts for the closure outreach and hotline as Bart Ney and Sabrina Martinez, with Denise Harding (Contra Costa) and Jean Calderon and Eric Ayor also supporting regional outreach. Officials said detour guidance will include routing drivers from 780 to 680 and SR-4 depending on origin and destination.

The council thanked Caltrans for the briefing and said it would help amplify outreach through city channels once firm messaging is available. The presentation closed with an offer from Caltrans to provide more specific signage maps and outreach details to city staff.