San Ramon Iron Horse Trail Overcrossing Honored with Top Statewide Transportation Infrastructure Award

The City of San Ramon's flagship active transportation initiative, the Iron Horse Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing at Bollinger Canyon Road, has received California's highest regional civil engineering honor. Municipal engineering leaders announced that the $29 million cable-stayed bridge was awarded the 2026 Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Award, presented jointly by the California State Association of Counties, the League of California Cities, and the County Engineers Association of California. The prestigious distinction celebrates excellence in public works design, active transportation safety, and regional connectivity.

Spanning Bollinger Canyon Road near Camino Ramon, the landmark pedestrian overcrossing provides continuous, grade-separated travel for thousands of daily cyclists, school commuters, and recreational runners utilizing the 32-mile Iron Horse Regional Trail. Prior to the bridge's completion, trail users were required to navigate busy eight-lane arterial intersections with high-volume vehicular traffic heading toward Interstate 680. The completed structure eliminates mid-block pedestrian conflicts, drastically improving safety for Dougherty Valley and San Ramon Valley High School students who walk and bike across town daily.

The award recognizes the complex engineering achievements of the 130-foot central cable-stayed pylon, which anchors structural steel stay cables supporting sweeping concrete approach ramps and elevated observation overlooks. In addition to the statewide CSAC honor, the project garnered two Project of the Year recognitions from the American Public Works Association Northern California Chapter. Funding for the multi-year capital undertaking combined local developer traffic mitigation fees, Contra Costa Transportation Authority Measure J sales tax revenue, and state active transportation grants.

City transportation directors noted that the bridge has become a community icon, framing the gateway to City Center Bishop Ranch and San Ramon Central Park. Pedestrian traffic counters installed on the bridge approach indicate that trail usage has increased by more than 35 percent since ribbon-cutting ceremonies opened the crossing. The bridge incorporates energy-efficient architectural LED illumination, drought-tolerant California native plantings along the foundation embankments, and ADA-accessible ramps with low-grade switchbacks.

San Ramon public works teams are currently preparing design studies for a companion overcrossing planned at Crow Canyon Road, which will further advance continuous multi-use connectivity throughout the Tri-Valley trail corridor. Residents and visiting cyclists can access trail maps, overcrossing engineering specifications, and regional trail updates through the San Ramon Public Works Department portal at sanramon.ca.gov.