Caltrans makes quake repairs to Napa bridges

NAPA, Calif. (KGO) -- Six weeks after the earthquake that shook Napa to its core, Caltrans is out in force trying to fix what the earth did to the area's bridges and prepare for the next large earthquake.

Nick Abuhamdih is a senior bridge engineer for Caltrans in Solano and Napa Counties.

He says the 10-year-old Imola Avenue Bridge along Highway 121 sustained the most damage in the 6.0 quake, but much of it to the structures that are supposed to give even break or gap when the ground moves.

"These are heavily reinforced, deep foundation bridges," Abuhamdih said. "They are allowed to move and these kind of hinges, what we call sheer key, they did what they have to."

Across town, at the Old Sonoma Road overcrossing on Highway 29, the issue is cable that was stretched to its maximum during the quake, again just the way it is supposed to.

This structure will get new cables for next time.

"I think they absolutely held up pretty good," Joy Sharma, Caltrans engineer said. "It's just the sheer key damages, which is what sheer keys are supposed to do and up on the top everything is safe."

And while the fixes don't affect the day to day integrity of the structures, the goal is to make them absolutely ready to withstand the next big quake.