The Centennial Bridge Improvement Project is scheduled to be completed in late June 2024, which will be a huge relief to those who work or travel through the Lab’s East Canyon area. The project is a major infrastructure effort by UC Berkeley Capital Projects to replace a bridge on a critical transportation route that dissects Berkeley Lab and connects parts of the UC Berkeley campus.

The new Centennial Drive roadway and bridge were constructed while the existing roadway remained active. The work impacted both Bertozzi and Lawrence Roads, which provide the only interior access route to parts of the East Canyon area of the Lab, as well as Strawberry Gate. The Lab worked closely with UCB to minimize disruptions and maintain access as much as possible.

“The Lab community, especially those working in the East Canyon area, has displayed flexibility and grace during the construction,” said Steve Filippoff, Projects & Infrastructure liaison to the UCB Capital Projects team and the bridge contractor. “The project’s complexity required constant and open communication between the Lab, those who worked in the area, and the contractor.” 

The new bridge substantially reduces landslide risks to Centennial Drive by realigning it to pass over and avoid potential landslide areas. In addition, the new bridge supports are designed to better tolerate earthquake-induced landslide movement.

This project was made possible through partnerships between UC Berkeley Capital Projects, the Lab’s Infrastructure Planning Office, and the Projects & Infrastructure Modernization Division. State General Funds and UC Berkeley campus funds supplied funding for the project.

“Work of this complexity and risk can only be accomplished through strong partnership between committed organizations,” said Stan Tuholski, Berkeley Lab’s Infrastructure Planning Officer. “The Laboratory will benefit for years to come from the hard work of the UC Berkeley Capital Projects team and Laboratory Operations team. Special thanks are due to the University of California for funding the project and the Laboratory community for their patience throughout construction.”

A celebration of the bridge’s completion will take place this summer. Details will be shared in a future Elements article.

See a recent drone flyover of the construction

Centennial Bridge construction website