How long does downtown Reno's stretch of the Truckee River stay fully open between bridge projects? On the current schedule, about nine months. The Arlington Avenue bridges reopened with a ribbon-cutting on June 8, 2026. The Regional Transportation Commission expects to close the Sierra Street Bridge for construction in March 2027. Everything on the river between those two dates, from a December walk across Wingfield Park to a last round at a riverside beer garden, falls inside that window.
This weekend shows how short it is. The Eddy, the shipping-container beer garden on Sierra Street at the Riverwalk, has announced Sunday, November 8 as its last day. Its owners pointed to the bridge work that hasn't started yet as one of the reasons.
Arlington Avenue Took Thirteen Months to Come Back
The first project started on May 5, 2025. It closed Arlington Avenue between West First Street and Island Avenue, and it closed Wingfield Park. That closure moved the 2025 Artown season. Reno News & Review reported that spring that the festival's main stage would move from Wingfield to Rancho San Rafael because the park would be closed.
By December 2025, KOLO reported that water was flowing through both river channels again. Kayakers had a new entry ramp near Barbara Bennett Park, the whitewater park had been upgraded, and the path under the bridge had been rebuilt. According to the RTC project page, construction was finished in June 2026, and Arlington Avenue and Wingfield Park are both open.
The new bridges sit differently in the water than the old ones. The north bridge stands on one in-river pier where there used to be two, and the south bridge crosses in a single span with no piers in the river at all. RTC says the change gives the river more room to carry water during a flood. Granite Construction built them, and the Art Deco look was picked with community input. KOLO put the cost at $30 million, paid for by an RTC tax along with sales and federal taxes.
Sierra Street Is Next, and the River Sets the Schedule
The Sierra Street Bridge dates to 1937. RTC's project page says design has reached the 100% milestone and construction is expected to start in spring 2027. Downtown's last two bridge replacements give a sense of how long that could take:
| Bridge | Construction start, actual or planned | Reopened or expected | Approximate duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Street | June 2015 | April 2016 | About 10 months |
| Arlington Avenue | May 2025 | June 2026 | About 13 months |
| Sierra Street | Spring 2027 | 2028 | Estimated 18 to 24 months |
Sierra Street's estimate is the longest because of the calendar. The project FAQ says crews can only work in the river channel from July 1 to October 31. That rule limits work in the floodway and protects federally protected fish. RTC expects to build the bridge in two or three phases, which may take two construction seasons. If the river runs higher than the temporary diversions can handle, the contractor has to pull everything out of the flood zone and wait for the water to drop. That's why RTC is planning for 18 to 24 months, while its designer and contractor look for ways to get it down to 12 to 18.
The four months crews can work in the river are also the warmest months on it. For up to two years in a row, the river will be squeezed into a narrower part of the channel during that July-to-October stretch.
The Eddy's Last Weekend Comes First
The Eddy opened in 2017 on a long-vacant lot. It had a soft opening on April 15 and a grand-opening celebration on May 5. Co-owner Phil Buckheart told the Northern Nevada Business Weekly the idea came from a visit to San Francisco's Biergarten. He and partner Kurt Stitser pictured a public gathering space built from containers, with food, art and events. On its own site, The Eddy describes local art, yard games, live music, fitness classes and three bars.
Fox Reno published the owners' October statement. They said the closing was "a direct result of the negative business impacts looming from RTC's Sierra Street Bridge project slated to run April 2027 thru Summer 2028, and the land Owner's unwillingness to renew our ground lease at reasonable terms." The same statement thanked their supporters after "10 years as a fixture in Downtown." It also said they hope "to resurface somewhere else in the future." Earlier this year, the owners had proposed moving into Believe Plaza. The Reno Gazette Journal reported that they withdrew the proposal on July 1, 2026.
The owners listed two final events. Cafeton was held November 1. Braap Bash is set for Saturday, November 7, the night before the gates are scheduled to close for good.
RTC's FAQ says all businesses near the construction zone will stay open and reachable during the work. It also says the project is federally funded and therefore follows the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, which doesn't allow federal funds to cover lost revenue. RTC does not pay nearby businesses for lost sales. Downtown has been through this before. During the Virginia Street Bridge work in 2015 and 2016, KUNR spoke with a nearby wedding-chapel owner who said customers turned away when access was blocked.
The Riverfront Calendar From Here to 2028
Here are the dates that matter for anyone who walks, paddles or meets friends along this stretch of the river:
- Saturday, November 7, 2026: Braap Bash, The Eddy's last scheduled event.
- Sunday, November 8, 2026: The Eddy's announced closing day.
- Winter 2026 to 2027: Arlington Avenue and Wingfield Park are open, and Sierra Street is still open too.
- Early 2027: RTC expects utility work to begin.
- March 2027: RTC expects the bridge to close for active construction. Sierra Street, its approaches and the bridge itself will close to through traffic. Cars, buses, pedestrians and cyclists will be sent around on nearby streets.
- July 1 to October 31, 2027: First window for work in the river channel.
- 2028: RTC expects to finish, weather permitting.
RTC says it will share detailed closure, detour and access plans for residents, businesses and river users before construction begins.
For river users, the plan is already clear. All of the whitewater park sits upstream of Sierra Street, and most of it will stay open. People on the water will be kept out of the Sierra Street construction zone. Signs will direct them to get out either at the east end of Wingfield Park or at West Street Plaza, and City Plaza will serve as an emergency exit for anyone who can't get out upstream.
What the New Sierra Street Bridge Adds
RTC's August 2026 release says the new design keeps the bridge's historic Art Deco character. The FAQ lists the changes pedestrians and river users will notice:
- Sidewalks: Widened from about 8 feet to 10 feet.
- A river overlook: A curved overhang in the middle of the bridge where people can step out of the walkway to look at the river. The public chose this design in a summer 2024 survey.
- Riverwalk crossings: Bulb-outs at both ends of the bridge to make crosswalks shorter, and flashing crosswalk lights at the Riverwalk crossing on the north side.
- Parking and lanes: Parking on the west side of the bridge goes away, and a 4-foot buffer separates the east-side parking lane from traffic. The bridge is designed for the 20 mph pedestrian safety zone the City of Reno set on Sierra Street from 3rd Street to Ridge Street in 2022.
- A new take-out: An ADA-compliant whitewater exit on the southeast corner. The ramp is 6 feet wide, reaches into the water, sticks out about 7 feet past the bridge so paddlers can see it from upstream, and has an eddy-out next to it.
The current take-out at the southwest corner will become a gated maintenance ramp for the Cochran Ditch. That means paddlers coming off the water will cross the street once more to walk back up to Barbara Bennett Park. To make that easier, the crosswalk on the south side of the bridge shrinks from about 50 feet to 40. Further out, the City's master plan for Wingfield and Barbara Bennett parks includes an in-water path from the new Sierra Street ramp to Wingfield Park.
When Sierra Street reopens, downtown will have three rebuilt bridges within roughly a dozen years: Virginia Street in 2016, Arlington Avenue in 2026 and Sierra Street, expected in 2028. Until the closure signs go up next spring, every bridge from Arlington to Sierra stays open to walkers and paddlers.
If you live near the river and are thinking about how the Sierra Street work fits your own plans over the next two years, Tiffany Billman can talk through the timeline with you and keep you posted as RTC releases its detour and access details. Let's connect.
