Permanent Asti Bridge

What’s Happening?

Sonoma County is advancing plans to construct a permanent bridge at the Asti–Cloverdale crossing of the Russian River to provide reliable, year-round access. The project is estimated to cost approximately $30 million.

The Asti crossing has served the community for more than 100 years and is considered an important connection for residents, emergency responders, and the broader Cloverdale area. Over the past decade, discussions regarding a permanent bridge have intensified as wildfire experience, evacuation planning, environmental considerations, and infrastructure best practices have highlighted the need for improved emergency access.

The County has completed borings in the river channel. The geotechnical information gathered from these studies is informing the next phase of bridge design.

To date, nearly $3 million in County funds have supported environmental review, preliminary design, and engineering. Earlier environmental studies were completed, and a Mitigated Negative Declaration was adopted. District 4 Supervisor James Gore has supported advancement of the project, working with Sonoma Public Infrastructure to secure environmental review, preliminary engineering, and funding to move the effort forward. In addition, the Alexander Valley Citizens League (AVCL) raised approximately $20,000 to support early planning studies associated with the permanent bridge effort.

The project is now focused on securing approximately $4 million needed to complete final design and engineering. Sonoma County was not selected for funding through the recent federal BUILD grant cycle. However, the project was designated a Project of Merit and ranked highly. The County plans to participate in a debrief, evaluate the feedback, and consider applying again.

The County is also working with County Counsel and the County Executive’s Office to evaluate other potential grant or loan options for final design. Completing final design will provide a more definitive project cost and allow the County to pursue grants, loans, and other funding sources for construction.

The County is separately evaluating formation of a special financing district for properties that would directly benefit from the permanent bridge. Formation of the district would not automatically begin assessment collection.

In the meantime, a temporary seasonal bridge continues to provide access. The crossing is installed annually after June 15, once environmental permits allow, and installation typically takes about one week. For 2026, the crossing is now open.

How We Got Here

For many years, the community has relied on a seasonal temporary bridge. However, increasing concerns about wildfire risk, evacuation routes, and emergency response access have made a permanent structure a priority.
Following a series of major wildfires and increased awareness of evacuation challenges—particularly east of the Russian River during Diablo wind events—community members raised concerns about evacuation and emergency access and engaged with the County regarding long-term infrastructure improvements. Community advocacy organizations, including the Alexander Valley Citizens League, have supported these efforts and contributed funding toward early bridge planning studies.

Recent related improvements include:

• Completion of River Road improvements by Public Infrastructure.
• Securing $7.4 million in state and federal grant funding for vegetation management and wildfire mitigation to support emergency access.
• Advancing environmental review and preliminary bridge planning.

Supervisor Gore has remained engaged throughout the process, working with Public Infrastructure, residents, and stakeholders to advance environmental review, engineering, and funding exploration.

Why It Matters

A permanent bridge would:

• Provide reliable year-round access, especially during wildfires, floods, and other emergencies.
• Improve wildfire evacuation safety, offering a critical secondary evacuation route for approximately 300 homes east of the Russian River.
• Enhance emergency response times for fire, medical, and law enforcement services.
• Reduce environmental disturbance associated with annual installation and removal of the temporary bridge.
• Increase long-term economic efficiency, reducing ongoing temporary bridge costs, daily travel distances, emissions, and travel time.
• Strengthen overall community safety and resilience.

A FEMA cost-benefit analysis determined that the long-term benefits of a permanent bridge exceed the projected costs, reflecting improved safety outcomes and avoided losses.

What’s Next

With environmental review and preliminary engineering completed, the project is entering its financing and final-design phase.

The County’s immediate next steps are to:

• Identify a viable funding strategy for the approximately $4 million needed to complete final design.
• Evaluate feedback from the BUILD grant application and consider other grant or loan opportunities.
• Confirm the legal and procedural requirements for forming a special financing district.
• Update the project information and supporting materials available to the public.
• Hold at least one additional community meeting before the financing district is presented to the Board of Supervisors.

Although August 4, 2026, had been considered as a tentative Board date, the project will not be ready for Board consideration at that time. Staff anticipate bringing the financing district to the Board later this fall, after the financing strategy, legal requirements, and additional community outreach have been completed. A specific date has not been scheduled.

The next Board action would be to consider formation of the special financing district. Establishing the district in advance could help position the project to proceed more efficiently once design and construction funding are secured.

Property owners will have an opportunity to participate in the formal process and express support for or opposition to formation of the district. Updated information and supporting materials will be posted on this webpage, followed by at least one additional community meeting before the matter is presented to the Board.

The district would need to be formed before assessments could be collected. However, assessments would not begin simply because the district had been created. The County’s intent is to begin collecting assessments only after:

• Final design is fully funded.
• Construction funding is secured.
• The County is ready to issue a notice to proceed with construction.

This approach would align property owners’ financial obligations more closely with delivery of the project.

Because funding for final design has not yet been secured, the County cannot provide a reliable construction date. Construction timing will be determined after final design and funding decisions are completed.

Timeline (Recent Milestones)

Summer 2026: BUILD grant application designated a Project of Merit but not selected for funding. County evaluating feedback, other final-design funding options, and financing district requirements.

Fall 2026 — anticipated: Updated public information, an additional community meeting, and possible Board consideration of special financing district formation. Date to be confirmed.

Jan.–May 2025: Community meetings and funding-strategy discussions.

Dec. 2023–Sept. 2024: Environmental review and adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration.

Future phases: Secure final-design funding, complete final design, establish a construction-funding strategy, and determine the construction schedule.

Get Involved

Community participation remains an important part of this process. The County will post updated information and supporting materials on this webpage and hold at least one additional community meeting before the financing district is presented to the Board of Supervisors.

Information about the community meeting and any future Board hearing will be posted when dates are confirmed.

• Attend a Board of Supervisors meeting. Meetings begin at 9:00 a.m. at 575 Administration Drive, Room 102A, Santa Rosa.
• Submit written comments to the Board of Supervisors at 575 Administration Drive, Room 100A, Santa Rosa, CA 95403.
• Email comments to bos@sonomacounty.gov.
• Participate in community meetings. Notes and recordings are available.

For additional information, contact Adriane Garayalde at adriane.garayalde@sonomacounty.gov.