National Trails Hwy connecting Vegas and Morongo Basin reopens

The newly repaired bridge is known as Bridge 70, and it is about a mile east of Saltus Road, east of Amboy.

Originally built in 1930, it is a wooden trestle bridge used as part of National Trails Highway, which was once part of Route 66.

Damage to its its load-bearing wooden components was discovered during a routine inspection by California’s state roadway authority, CalTrans, and the bridge was closed immediately on February 15.

The wooden components were showing signs of major decay due to recent flooding and weather. San Bernardino County Public Works oversaw the repairs and reconstruction on the bridge, which took about a month and were completed last week.

Caltrans conducted a final inspection on the newly repaired Bridge 70 on March 21, and the bridge reopened to traffic the following morning.

National Trails Highway has now reopened, and Bridge 70 is as strong as it’s ever been in its nearly full century of carrying travelers in the desert.

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Jef Harmatz
Jef Harmatz is the co-host of Z107.7’s “Morning Show with Cody and Jef” and Z107.7’s News Director. He has worked as a journalist, cartoonist, chef, and delivery driver. He is known nationally for his writing and comics in publications like TimeOut, Popula, Roadtrippers, Solrad and Spiralbound, and for his album covers for Third Eye Blind and Sir Sly. He is known locally for his pop-up barbecue restaurant Hot Dog Panic. He remains unknown in the field of beekeeping, because he is too afraid of being stung to try it. When not on the radio, he draws comics and self-publishes little books. He lives with his partner and his dog Sunday in Yucca Valley, where he cooks them both elaborate meals.