Heart of the Valley Bridge brought Huron residents peace of mind during last rainstorms

When it rained hard, Huron residents could count on a flooded road leading into the city that required a detour. Since the completion of the State Route 269 bridge in 2019, that is no longer a concern.

The bridge spans the creek that would typically flood over the former road during rainy periods, shutting off access to Huron.

The 500-foot-long bridge over Arroyo Pasajero Creek on State Route 269 has given residents of the rural community peace of mind.

Herminia Ibarra, who has been living in Huron since 1995, has experienced first-hand the before and after the construction of the SR 269 bridge during storms.

“We go shopping to Hanford so it’s easier,” said Ibarra of not worrying about taking a detour because of rainstorms. “In the past we had to drive all the way to El Dorado to go around or to Avenal Cutoff.”

“There is more safety. We feel comfortable,” said Ibarra adding that now she doesn’t have to worry if the road would be open or closed if she was heading back to Huron on a rainy day.

Huron Mayor Rey León said the bridge has made a huge difference during the recent rainstorms that brought flooding to many parts of the state.

The 500-foot-long bridge over Arroyo Pasajero Creek on State Route 269 has given residents of the rural community of Huron peace of mind. The bridge spans the creek that would typically flood over the former road during rainy periods, shutting off access to Huron.
The 500-foot-long bridge over Arroyo Pasajero Creek on State Route 269 has given residents of the rural community of Huron peace of mind. The bridge spans the creek that would typically flood over the former road during rainy periods, shutting off access to Huron.

“The first time we ever seen water going under the bridge, right,” he said.

León said that if it wasn’t because of the bridge, State Route 269 would have been closed since “the first mediocre storm that hit us, I think in December, and all the way to today, maybe.”

In the past, there would have been machinery out there cleaning the route from mud, debris, stones, concrete, rocks, logs, dead trees, garbage, etc., so people could go through, León said.

Located in rural Fresno County, the city of Huron is home to approximately 7,000 people, mostly Latino, with a median income of $21,000. It is one of the poorest cities in the state.

Residents of Huron and the surrounding rural areas communities depend on SR 269 to keep them connected to the rest of the Central Valley.

And SR 269 is a critical connector for Huron and its agricultural economy – between State Route 198 and Interstate 5 to being the only highway that grants access to the community Huron from the north. Community residents had to travel a 28-mile detour for shopping and services including for medical emergencies during road closures.

Since SR 269 came into the state highway system in 1976, there were numerous safety issues due to the occasional flooding along the route, costing the community approximately $454,000 per year over the course of 40 years. That totales to more than $18 million in economic losses. And it has been closed for more than 551 days due to flooding.

“So, it had been a huge inconvenience. It’s a waste of money. It’s a waste of fuel, produces more pollution when you have to go around, and it undermines our local economy,” said León, who was first elected to mayor in 2016.

The 500-foot-long bridge over Arroyo Pasajero Creek on State Route 269 has given residents of the rural community of Huron peace of mind. The bridge spans the creek that would typically flood over the former road during rainy periods, shutting off access to Huron.
The 500-foot-long bridge over Arroyo Pasajero Creek on State Route 269 has given residents of the rural community of Huron peace of mind. The bridge spans the creek that would typically flood over the former road during rainy periods, shutting off access to Huron.

León had worked on making the SR 269 bridge a reality since 2006. In 2017 with the help of Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, funding for the SR269 Bridge project was secured and construction broke ground in November of 2018, creating a reliable and safe corridor for the local and regional motoring public.

The construction of three new bridges and modification of the Arroyo Pasajero Creek channel now prevents future closure of the highway due to flooding.

The project was made possible by funds from the local sales tax Measure C of $1.22 million and $28.9 million from the State Highway Operation and Protection Program.

The state Assembly designated the long bridge – which is 15 feet high over the Arroyo Pasajero Creek – as the ‘Heart of the Valley Bridge’ to honor and commemorate the seven Fresno County residents who lost their lives on Interstate 5 when State Route 269 was closed due to roadway collapse and raging floodwaters on March 12, 1995. (An bridge on I-5 collapsed due to flooding waters at night and motorists drove to their death into the raging water below).

The recent drought has kept the creek dry.

“So, with the bridge it all keeps on flowing the way it’s supposed to,” León said.

With the heavy rains León said there was a little break, a little detraction of the main flow of water on the creek that forced some water away from the creek route.

León said is working with Caltrans to ensure that if there was overflowing water on the west side of the bridge and it starts flowing southward along Lassen Avenue (State Route 269) during heavy storms, that something is done to prevent an overflow.

Or, if the overflow goes the wrong route, or if current is strong and forces itself in another direction to set it up to overflow into a nearby field to prevent water overtaking the road south of the bridges since state route is about 12 feet about ground.

The 500-foot-long bridge over Arroyo Pasajero Creek on State Route 269 has given residents of the rural community of Huron peace of mind. The bridge spans the creek that would typically flood over the former road during rainy periods, shutting off access to Huron.
The 500-foot-long bridge over Arroyo Pasajero Creek on State Route 269 has given residents of the rural community of Huron peace of mind. The bridge spans the creek that would typically flood over the former road during rainy periods, shutting off access to Huron.

“If it overflows on the northwest side, it’s just a bunch of open land that could serve as recharge basin, just to ensure it doesn’t close down in a different way,” León said. “It’s significant enough. You know, if the storm would have kept on going for a couple more days maybe, then we would have probably seen the same route underwater, even if it would have been a couple of inches.”

“But that’s dangerous, you know, you don’t want to be slip and sliding on the road,” Léon said. “And so, the safety of my constituents is No. 1, the safety of all people coming through Huron is No. 1.”

While the drought kept the creek dry for months, Léon said now they have “the remedy set up” for when storms like the ones early this year come around.

“Now it’s about making sure that the whole system is reliable, sustainable and keeps our drivers, our people safe,” Léon said.