Agoura Hills Welcomes New Chesebro Bridge

AGOURA HILLS, CA — After long years of committees and construction, Agoura Hills is welcoming a widened, reimagined version of the Chesebro Crossing over the 101 Freeway. The project marks the last of three major 101 bridge improvements in Agoura Hills, and five total bridge rebuilds along a seven-mile stretch of the freeway.

“After two years of hard work, the City of Agoura Hills is excited to celebrate the completion of these important safety improvements, and showcase the creativity and artistry that have made the bridge a feature for our city,” said Agoura Hills Public Works Director Jessica Forte. “The combination of safety and style was made possible by combining the efforts of multiple agencies and individuals.

Forte and the Agoura Hills City Council gathered for a virtual ribbon cutting to inaugurate the new bridge, which was expanded from 40 to 76 feet wide, includes sidewalks and bike paths, and was reimagined to integrate with the rustic Wild West motif of Old Agoura.

“What I did was to make it look like an old turn of the century bridge, a wooden bridge that was in keeping with the equestrian area of Old Agoura,” said local artist Joe Wertheimer, who helped design the bridge. “I then went about getting the materials to carve all of the molds that would go into the bridge to create that look, and that’s why we have this bridge today.”

The original bridge was built in 1963, but the local community found that it was no longer a safe way for them to cross the freeway. “Over time the way we used this area has changed,” Mayor Denis Weber said during the ribbon cutting. “We no longer wanted only freeway access, we also wanted a pleasant and safe freeway crossing for pedestrians and bicyclists. The northbound and southbound onramps were inadequate by current day standards and contributed to some core circulation on our local roads, as well as congested freeway access and bad sightlines for drivers. These improvements also exemplified the spirit of Agoura Hills in a detailed design that reflects our equestrian and the natural environment we are blessed to enjoy.”

Though Old Agoura residents were initially wary of the project, extensive public outreach and the bridge’s rural aesthetic helped bring the community onboard, according to a report in The Acorn.

The bridge was funded by measure R and M, Los Angeles County ballot initiatives that added a half-cent sales tax to pay for infrastructure improvements. The city coordinated with Caltrans and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.