Bear Transit’s daytime central campus line, or C-Line, will close, and other routes will face detours because of construction on Wickson Bridge, which will begin Feb. 13 and continue “until further notice.”
Wickson Bridge, situated on the northwest side of the UC Berkeley campus, will undergo restoration in order to “replace the wood decking and refurbish the steel support beams,” according to a Bear Transit sign on the east side of the bridge.
The bridge is commonly used for deliveries, supports “huge” shuttles during game weekends and regularly sustains heavy traffic, according to UC Berkeley transit operations supervisor Earl Lockhart. Lockhart added that during college football season, the route sees increased traffic.
“The wood roadway decking on Wickson Bridge has deteriorated after years of general use by auto and pedestrian traffic, and weather exposure,” said UC Berkeley Capital Strategies communications director Kyle Gibson in an email.
He added that the bridge’s wooden decking will be replaced, and the steel support beams will be cleaned.
The UC Berkeley Parking and Transportation Department is also increasing service to the Perimeter Line to account for the temporary closure of the C-Line.
“During 7 to 11 a.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m., we will be offering a ‘Perimeter Plus service,’ which will have a 15-minute frequency and go around campus,” said David Sorrell, transportation demand management administrator for the campus Parking and Transportation Department.
Both the Northside and Southside nighttime service routes will be impacted, in addition to the C-Line. Buses will continue to stop at Evans Hall in Hearst Mining Circle but will go around campus on Hearst Avenue instead of continuing through the campus on University Drive.
Several students who usually take the Night Safety Shuttle expressed concerns that the bus will not stop outside Moffitt Library during the detours.
Campus freshman Hyunju Lee, who lives at the Clark Kerr Campus, said she usually takes the Southside Night Safety Shuttle, adding that she is always careful about how she gets home at night. Describing the change of route as “somewhat inconvenient,” she said she is usually lucky enough to have friends who walk with her.
“It’s different for people who live far away because we want to study at the libraries too, but safety is an issue, and we want to be smart about it,” Lee said.
According to campus Parking and Transportation Director Seamus Wilmot, students who usually board the shuttle at Moffitt Library are advised to take the shuttle at Evans Hall in Hearst Mining Circle instead.
Signs notifying students of the service disruptions have been posted inside various shuttles and affected stops on campus.