Aliso Viejo City Leaders Agree to Close AWMA Bridge to Through Traffic

ALISO VIEJO, CA - The Aliso Viejo City Council on Wednesday voted to comply with the county’s proposal to close the AWMA Bridge to through traffic.

In essence, the city agreed to the restrictions set by the county if it is to take over responsibility of the bridge from the Wastewater Authority. The bridge sits over Aliso Creek, and it connects Alicia Parkway to the Wood Canyon neighborhood as well as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park and Wood Canyon Elementary.

The Wastewater Authority announced plans to close the 37-year-old bridge unless the county or another public entity agrees to take it over along with $1 million toward its retrofitting price tag. The announcement triggered immediate outcry from residents in Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel.

“The city of Aliso Viejo has long maintained that closing the bridge would have landlocked the Church of Latter-day Saints and the county park facility and negatively impacted the residents of Orange County,” a city spokeswoman said in a written release Wednesday night.

One condition set by the county during negotiations to take it over the bridge is that the cities of Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel sign a "letter of intent" agreeing to certain terms of the property transfer. In the letter, the city agrees to restricted use of the road only as a means of entry and exit to the Park, Laguna Niguel Historical Society and LDS Church for car, light truck, bicycle, and pedestrian access. City leaders in Laguna Niguel and Aliso Viejo are required to acknowledge that the SOCWA Bridge is not needed for through traffic or for use as as a vehicle connection from the AWMA Road to the private service road owned by the Aliso Viejo Community Association

In other words, no through traffic will be allowed. The county is planning to barricade the connection between the bridge road and the private Aliso Viejo Community Association (AVCA) service road off Knollwood Road.

The plan requires final approval by the County Board of Supervisors will have to consider and approve the plan.

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