Press Release: City of Benicia Secures $2.4 Million Settlement with Republic Services for Pedestrian Bridge Replacement

The City of Benicia announces a $2.4 million settlement agreement with Republic Services to replace the pedestrian bridge over Military West near Mary Farmar Elementary School.

In 2023, a Republic Services vehicle accidentally struck the pedestrian bridge, rendering it unusable and necessitating emergency demolition. Republic Services immediately partnered with the City to pay for crossing guards and emergency traffic measures. To date, Republic has contributed approximately $123,000 to the City of Benicia for initial related costs.  

In 2024, the City secured a contract for a prefabricated bridge. Fabrication is set to begin in early 2025, with design work scheduled for completion by March 2025. Construction is expected to start by July 2025, and the new bridge is projected to be finished by late 2025.

“We know how essential this bridge is to the safety of our community and the students that used it every day to cross the street to go to school,” said City Manager Mario Giuliani. “These funds will ensure that this bridge will be built next year, once again providing our community and children a safe pedestrian crossing.”

Under the settlement agreement which Benicia City Council approved in closed session on December 17, 2024, Republic Services will pay an additional $2.4 million, bringing the total payment to the city to $2.5 million to fund the bridge replacement and related costs.

“This is indeed a very expensive and complex project. A significant amount of design and engineering work needed to first occur, before we could accurately project the costs. I very much appreciate the commitment of Republic Services to take the necessary measures to replace the bridge for our students and the strength of the Mary Farmar community to persevere through these many months of design and negotiation,” commented Giuliani.