Mission Creek flows back to life below De La Vina Bridge Expansion Project

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - A local bridge project is holding up well under historic and unusual rainfall this time of year.

The De La Vina Bridge Over Mission Creek Replacement Project is being tested for the first time with back-to-back storms and heavy runoff.

Behind the green fencing and idle earthmovers, Mission Creek is flowing fast through its newly widened banks and beefier abutment walls, thanks to ongoing and extensive excavation work.

City officials said they spent more than a week preparing for forecasted rain. The two year long project will widen the bridge, originally built in 1915, and more than double the creek's flow capacity in anticipation of 25 year storms.

The series of more than three significant storms is expected to delay the expansion project for an unknown period of time, including pouring and completing the channel walls downstream -- that can't be done until the weather cooperates.