Cyclists and pedestrians who use the Iron Horse Trail to cross Treat Boulevard in Walnut Creek will need to find another way across starting in summer 2026.
The Robert I. Schroder pedestrian bridge is closing for three to four months of rehabilitation work, forcing trail users to a street-level crossing of the six-lane arterial.
Contra Costa County Public Works posted the $1.185 million project on its advertised projects page July 14 with bids due the same day. Construction is estimated to wrap up by fall 2026, according to the county's project listing. The contract allows 60 working days.
The steel-arch bridge sits about 0.3 miles east of Interstate 680 and carries the Iron Horse Trail over Treat Boulevard. The trail handles roughly 3,000 to 4,000 trips per day along its full 34-mile length, according to East Bay Regional Park District trails program manager Sean Dougan, though no count specific to this crossing is available. During the closure, trail users will be rerouted to the existing at-grade street crossing on Treat Boulevard.
What's being fixed
Contra Costa County Public Works described the work as repairs to address the bridge's serviceability and aesthetics. The scope includes:
- Replacing bearing pads at both bridge abutments
- Spot-blasting and cleaning rusted or paint-chipped areas
- Waterproofing the bridge deck
- Repairing damaged concrete on sidewalks and curbs
- Replacing pedestrian restriction cabling
- Pressure washing, debris removal, and vegetation trimming
Road impacts for drivers
Treat Boulevard will stay open to vehicle traffic for most of the construction period. However, four nighttime road closures on separate nights will be needed for the bearing pad replacement. Drivers will face an approximately five-mile detour during those overnight closures.
Who's paying
The project is funded 73% by Measure X funds and 27% by Park Dedication Funds. It falls within Supervisor District 4, represented by County Supervisor Ken Carlson.
Looking ahead
A separate Contra Costa County project will add protected bikeways on Treat Boulevard between North Main Street and Jones Road, with construction expected in 2027 or 2028, according to advocacy group Walk Bike Walnut Creek's summary of county plans. That project would improve the street-level crossing that trail users will rely on during the bridge closure.
Residents with questions about the bridge project can contact the county's Iron Horse Corridor program manager, Carl J. Roner, at (925) 313-2213.
