California Department of Transportation

05/01/2026 | Press release | Archived content

State Route 20 Meridian Bridge to be Closed Next Week for Annual Inspection

State Route 20 Meridian Bridge to be Closed Next Week for Annual Inspection

Published: May 01, 2026
Sergio Aceves, District 3 Director
Contact: Megan Reese (530) 682-6145

State Route 20 Meridian Bridge to be Closed Next Week for Annual Inspection

Motorists Should Allow Additional Travel Time

MERIDIAN - Motorists should expect travel delays Thursday, May 7 on State Route 20 (SR 20) at the Meridian Bridge on the Sutter-Colusa County line.

The work is scheduled to be intermittently between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. as Caltrans crews open the swing bridge to conduct an annual inspection of the historic steel structure over the Sacramento River. Motorists should expect delays of up to 20 minutes during each of the three planned openings.

Motorists are advised to find alternate routes during the temporary highway closure, which is subject to change due to unexpected weather or other events. Electronic roadside message boards will be used to post the latest information.

Built in 1977 to replace an earlier bridge destroyed by fire, the turntable bridge is swung open once a year for inspection. The U.S. Coast Guard requires the structure remains operational to allow maritime vessels to pass through.

Caltrans District 3 is responsible for maintaining and operating 4,385 lane miles in 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties. Caltrans reminds motorists to "Be Work Zone Alert" and slow in construction zones for the safety of travelers and crews performing these improvements.

Caltrans issues construction and road condition updates on X @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook at CaltransDistrict3. For real-time traffic information, click on Caltrans' QuickMap quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ or download the QuickMap app from the App Store or Google Play.

California Department of Transportation published this content on May 01, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 05, 2026 at 20:56 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]