Situated on a small island in the middle of the Truckee River, Wingfield Park is accessible via the Arlington Avenue bridges in downtown Reno, Nevada’s Riverwalk District. Work is underway to replace the bridges through a project taken on by the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County, the City of Reno, and Granite Construction.
In the early 1900s, the three-acre natural island was transformed into a park that has since been a go-to spot for Reno residents. According to the Reno Historical website, the park featured a dance hall, a 700-seat open-air theater, and small boat rentals in 1911, with a roller skating rink being added later in 1912. In 1920, George Wingfield purchased the island and donated it to the city, and the city council named Wingfield Park in recognition of his contribution.
Today, the park offers many activities, including concerts, plays in an outdoor amphitheater, picnic areas, swimming, tubing, and kayaking.
Separated by the island, the two Arlington Avenue bridges serve as a major link to Wingfield Park. The northern bridge was built in 1921, while the southern bridge was constructed in 1939. Over their long life span, the bridges became deficient and no longer meet today’s safety and size standards.
The condition of the bridges has been shaped by both their age and their location in the Truckee River, which has led to scour. The river runs for 121 miles and is an outflow of Lake Tahoe.
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The website of nonprofit, One Truckee River, says that the river has “wide fluctuations in annual runoff volumes, ranging from high water year averages of about 2 million acre-feet to about 115,000 acre-feet in low water years.” The Truckee River is also “home to a vibrant ecosystem of plants and animals and is critical to maintaining Pyramid Lake’s endangered Cui-ui Lakesucker and threatened Lahontan Cutthroat Trout.”
The primary element of the project is the construction of the bridges. The team is demolishing the abutments and piers and fully reconstructing the bridges.
The new northern bridge will be a 125-foot-long single-pier structure. It will include two overlooks. The 53-foot-long southern bridge will be a clear span structure. Both bridges will be 71 feet wide with three lanes, including a turning lane. The bridges will include a sidewalk overlooking the river.
Some utilities will be placed in the girders to improve aesthetics, as the original bridges had utilities hanging on the exterior of the bridge. Granite also installed empty conduits for future use so that new utilities can be installed later without having to remove and replace new concrete improvements.
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Other work on the project includes:
- Improved ADA accessibility features
- Landscape improvements, including planting trees in the park and installing new lighting
- Construction of a new boat ramp, which is being widened to allow emergency vehicles to access the river on the west side of the south bridge
- Revamping the kayak park in the north channel
- Enhanced safety measures for pedestrians, bicyclists, kayakers, transit riders, and drivers in the Wingfield Park area
- Improved hydraulic capacity to manage flood events effectively
- Owner: City of Reno, project administered by the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County
- General Contractor: Granite Construction (Nevada region), Watsonville, California
- Designer: Jacobs Engineering, Dallas, Texas
- Construction Manager: CA Group, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Other Contractors: CMC, Irving, Texas; Malcolm Drilling, San Francisco, California; Eastern Sierra Engineering, Reno, Nevada; Titan Electric, Reno, Nevada; Tutto Ferro, Reno, Nevada
With the Riverwalk District located in a pedestrian-friendly area that is home to businesses, cafes, and galleries, it was a challenge to perform construction in downtown Reno.
“When we work in a dense urban area, it’s essential to communicate and coordinate with local businesses and other stakeholders,” Granite Project Manager Ali Cate said. “It’s our duty to not only not impact them but also deliver a successful project.”
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Cate and the team have been diligent in informing locals about traffic changes. They have also done significant outreach. Cate has a leg up, as she grew up in Reno and said she feels a connection to Wingfield Park. Others on the team are also locals.
The historic bridges hold significance for some members of the community.
“Local artists collected some of the old rebar and turned it into pieces of art,” Cate said. “We regularly have people watching us while we work, and a local photographer has captured the entire project.”
She describes the project zone as “working on a postage stamp.” This adds to the safety challenge and requires strong communication and precise scheduling.
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Arlington Avenue serves as a main arterial road for the community and has an average daily traffic of 15,000. While work is underway, traffic has been detoured, allowing the team access to the work area.
Working in the river was another challenge for the team.
“We have to be aware of and consider the environmental impact and get permits in a timely manner,” Cate said.
The permits were obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Carson-Truckee Water Conservancy District (CTWCD). The CTWCD has stringent rules about when the team can work in the Truckee River. Granite collaborated closely with them, ensuring compliance.
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The team installed an AquaDam (a temporary water-filled cofferdam flood barrier) to divert water into the north and south channels while they worked in the river.
“The superstructure had to be built during the high flows that come outside of the window of when we can be in the river,” Cate said.
The team also did substantial work on the kayak park while working in the river.
The project owner chose the construction manager at risk (CMAR) delivery method for the Arlington Avenue Bridges Replacement Project. CMAR tends to provide greater cost certainty, reduced risks, and accelerated work schedules. With CMAR, establishing relationships between owners and contractors is essential.
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“Many of us on the project are locals and are part of the community, and the owners appreciate that we have a deep understanding of the area,” Cate said.
Granite was brought into the project during the early stages, when the drawings were 30 percent complete. The general contractor suggested an alteration that had significant benefits.
“Initially, the plan called for drilled shafts for the piers,” Cate said, “but we implemented a design change to go to spread footings.”
The change saved the owners $7 million and compressed the schedule to a single in-river work season. It also meant Granite could self-perform more of the work, providing cost and schedule certainty.
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According to a Granite press release, the contractor is providing “materials from its nearby Lockwood Facility, including 10,000 tons of granular backfill for bridge structures earthwork, 9,000 tons of structural backfill for bridge structures earthwork, 1,400 tons [of hot mix asphalt] for roadway reconstruction, and 1,800 tons [of aggregate base] for roadway reconstruction.”
The project has a $32 million construction budget. Granite created a risk register during preconstruction. At the time of this writing, Cate expects the owner to see savings of non-triggered risk items where the owner retains 100 percent of the unused funds.
Funding sources include a $7 million RAISE grant, federal COVID-19 relief funds, congressional directive funds, and local fuel tax funding.
Construction on the project began in spring 2025, and the bridges are expected to reach substantial completion by Memorial Day weekend in May 2026, as planned. Meeting the schedule is particularly impressive given that a 50-year flood event occurred and delayed the project for several weeks.
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To get the project back on schedule, the entire team worked together to mitigate delays and find solutions for acceleration, including implementing risk register items, working Saturdays, and alternative shoring techniques.
“We worked lots of long hours, pushed hard, and crewed up when we needed to,” Cate said. “Everyone did a great job of getting on board, and it was a huge accomplishment to get the project back on schedule.”
While the bridges will be opened before summer, the park will remain closed for events. However, the public will have access to the park.
Upon completion of the project, the Arlington Avenue bridges will reopen to traffic, offering updated overlooks with improved views and aesthetics. Kayakers will also benefit from enhanced facilities along the Truckee River.
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