After years of planning, construction and anticipation, El Dorado County is preparing to celebrate a major milestone in the Mosquito Road corridor.
The county will hold the Mosquito Road Bridge Opening Celebration at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 25, marking the completion of the replacement bridge spanning the South Fork American River.
But motorists eager to take their first drive across the new bridge will have to wait one additional day.
The bridge will not open to public traffic until Saturday, Sept. 26.
No parking at the ceremony site
For residents who want to attend Friday’s ceremony, county officials are emphasizing one important logistical detail: There will be no on-site public parking.
Instead, attendees must use a free El Dorado Transit shuttle departing from the Placerville Library at 9:30 a.m.
Those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 22, by emailing MosquitoBridgeRSVP@edcgov.us. The shuttle will return attendees to the Placerville Library following the ceremony.
The arrangement is intended to keep traffic and parking at the remote ceremony site manageable while providing public access to the event.
A significant El Dorado County transportation project
The Mosquito Road Bridge replacement has been one of the county’s major transportation projects. County documents identify the project as Mosquito Road Bridge at South Fork American River — Bridge Replacement, serving portions of Supervisorial Districts 3 and 4. A county financing plan placed the project’s total funding at approximately $82.6 million, with the majority coming through the federal Highway Bridge Program.
The bridge is an important link for residents using Mosquito Road between the Placerville area and communities on the other side of the American River.
County traffic-count data also documents regular vehicle use along the Mosquito Road corridor, underscoring the road’s role in the local transportation network.
For residents who have followed the project, the opening represents more than the completion of another construction project. It restores a critical crossing while providing a modern replacement for an aging piece of county infrastructure.
Ceremony Friday, traffic Saturday
The county’s schedule creates two separate milestones for residents to remember:
Friday, Sept. 25:
The official opening celebration begins at 10 a.m. Attendance requires an RSVP for the free shuttle. The shuttle leaves the Placerville Library at 9:30 a.m.
Saturday, Sept. 26:
The new Mosquito Road Bridge opens for public use.
That distinction is particularly important for motorists who may see photographs or video from Friday’s ceremony and assume the bridge is immediately available to traffic.
It isn’t.
For those wanting to witness the historic moment in person, the deadline is approaching. RSVP by Tuesday, Sept. 22, at MosquitoBridgeRSVP@edcgov.us to reserve a seat on the shuttle.
For El Dorado County residents, Saturday will be the day the ceremonial ribbon cutting becomes something more practical: a new bridge carrying local traffic across the South Fork American River.
Sources: El Dorado County Department of Transportation project documents and traffic data.
