Major progress on Arlington Bridge: North supports now complete

UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 10:

Crews have reached another milestone in the Arlington Avenue Bridges Project, completing concrete pours for all three support structures of the north bridge, according to the Regional Transportation Commission in a post on its X page.

With this phase complete, work will soon shift to the south channel of the Truckee River. The full project is expected to be completed by summer 2026.

UPDATE - JUNE 16:

Demolition is underway on the north Arlington Bridge in downtown Reno after crews successfully completed a critical phase of the project last week, diverting the Truckee River to its south channel near Barbara Bennett Park.

According to RTC Washoe in an online X post, this milestone created a five-month construction window to move forward with the bridge replacement project.

De-watering operations have since dried the riverbed, allowing workers to start taking down the existing north bridge.

“Last week marked a pivotal achievement when crews successfully diverted the Truckee River to the south channel near Barbara Bennett Park, completing one of the project's most critical and technically challenging phases,” RTC Washoe stated in an update posted on X.

Demolition will be performed using excavator claws, removing the structure in four to five-foot sections.

Crews will first dismantle the bridge deck before proceeding to remove the bridge abutments.

The full demolition process is expected to take about four weeks.

Landon Miller

(The Regional Transportation Commission - Washoe contributed to this story.)

ORIGINAL STORY - JUNE 5:

The intersection at First Street and Arlington Avenue is temporarily closed as work continues on the Arlington Avenue Bridge Project.

The closure will be in place until June 20, according to a release from the RTC.

Crews will divert water from the north channel of the Truckee River to the south channel, which is anticipated to make water flowing on the south side of the river, near Barbara Bennett Park, move faster than normal.

The project team urges the community to avoid that area of the river until flows subside, as they anticipate river conditions in that area to be dangerous and pose serious risks.