Workers put finishing touches on the bridge at Miner Road.
The walls along the Miner Road bridge are once again beautiful.
A sinkhole on the road was repaired in 2017 and new walls were erected on both sides of the bridge which passes over Lauterwasser Creek in Orinda.
Prior to the sink hole there were low rock-faced walls lining the bridge; they were replaced by larger white concrete walls. The wall veneer facing the residential and golf course properties was completed with beautiful rock work. The sides viewed by passersby were sterile, concrete structures.
Several people, including many Orinda Garden Club (OGC) members, said more should be done to beautify the concrete walls. Pam Goode was asked by Cathleen Sodos, then OGC president, to assist her in looking into how the appearance of the walls could be improved.
When the sinkhole repair was completed, the OGC’s work began. The garden club spearheaded a word-of-mouth fundraising campaign, collecting $25,000. The proposal was brought to the City Council in summer 2019 and unanimously approved.
Then COVID-19 broke out and plans were put on hold. In late May, the city granted permission to proceed.
The main work was completed in less than two weeks. By mid-July, the project was waiting for a couple of missing cap stones in the rock order and the recognition plaque to be placed in a square place holder. Completion was anticipated by Aug. 1.
