Steel, concrete, scaffolding and girders are visible as commuters enter and exit Oxnard near Rice Avenue, as a $134.5 million bridge project aimed at preventing collisions of trains and vehicles takes shape.
Despite the many intersections along the eight-mile stretch of Highway 34, the one on Fifth Street and Rice is particularly deadly, being the site of many crashes, including a 2015 fatal collision that left a Metrolink engineer dead and over 30 passengers injured.
The city broke ground on the project on Feb. 22, 2025. The bridge will divert north and southbound Rice Avenue, or Highway 1, traffic and build a connecting road for those coming from Fifth Street.
The long-awaited Rice Avenue and Fifth Street Grade Separation project is still on track
for its December 2028 grand opening, said Claudia Mejia, a spokesperson for the city of Oxnard's public works department.
The city, the County of Ventura and the California Department of Transportation worked to bring the project together for over a decade.
Funding for the bridge comes from state and federal grants as well as through development impact fees, according to the city.
The bridge's price tag has grown over the years with initial estimates starting at around $70 million, growing to $117 million and ultimately landing at $134.5 million.
The construction has mostly affected late-night commuters as the city aims to keep road closures overnight and will try to do so in the future as well, Mejia said.
Drivers and residents who frequent the area can sign up to receive text and email updates about the project and future road closures through the city's website, she said.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: $134.5M Oxnard bridge project makes way toward 2028 opening
