Residents living near the 87-year-old bridge, which runs over the Guadalupe River, agree it needs to be replaced. But they don't want the area's yesteryear charm to be substituted by freeway-looking construction that also requires the removal of two nearly 100-year-old sycamore trees.

The bridge, which was built in 1916 and lies between Creek Drive and Northern Road, was weakened by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and flooding in 1995 and 1998. According to the city and the Santa Clara Valley Water District, its structural integrity has become a safety concern as cars travel across its short span.

The city received the $1.5-million Caltrans grant in 1995 to replace the bridge, and an agreement between the city and water district was reached in May 2003 to begin rebuilding the span before the state re-apportioned the unused funds.

Santa Clara Valley Water District project manager Dennis Cheong told residents that the construction plans were 65 percent completed and a delay in building might cost them the grant.

Lynne Mabie, who has lived next to the bridge for 25 years, agrees that it needs to be replaced, but is saddened by the pending loss of a neighborhood landmark.

To facilitate the project, the city and water district had three community meetings with residents to explain the details and listen to resident input. The outcome resulted in the residents having to accept that the 100-year-old trees will be cut down and the new bridge would be wider.

The residents value the trees because they "provide shelter, cool the creek and the street, and are in an area known for old trees," said Susan Kusters, who lives on Guadalupe Avenue.

But according to a consulting arborist, one of the trees by the bridge already has a large cavity in its root system, which has weakened it, necessitating its removal.

The water district's future flood control project also requires lengthening the bridge by 46 feet and the city requires widening the bridge by 13 feet on both sides, making it 50 feet wide. This reconfiguration will create 5 feet of bike lane, 2 feet of road shoulder and 6 feet of sidewalk. Under the proposed design, the bridge's widening would mandate that the adjacent sycamore trees be removed. But the city and water district plan to replace the trees.

The widening of the bridge also raised issues for residents who fear speeding traffic will worsen.

Several residents pointed to the speeds and appearance of the Malone Road bridge as an example of what is unacceptable for their neighborhood.

"People already use Creek Drive for a thoroughfare," Dick Jarvis said. "The city is not considering how widening will affect traffic."

San Jose Department of Transportation and Planning Project Delivery Division Manager Rene Cordero said the goal was not to increase the traffic capacity, but provide greater safety to motorists and pedestrians. "There's 2,100 vehicles now that cross the bridge daily, and we don't intend to raise that," he said.

Willow Glen Way resident Janice LaVergne added that monitoring the activity before the bridge is widened will not help predict the traffic afterward. And surveying the impact after the bridge is widened is too late for residents, she said.

"How many 25-mph bridges has Caltrans built?" she asked, referring to freeway overpasses.

Cordero said the transportation department could add additional traffic-calming measures to the area by implementing a "Stop Ahead" sign in an effort to enforce the Stop sign at Creek Drive.

An earlier suggestion by LaVergne to build a temporary bridge for access during construction was also explored, but found to be cost-prohibitive at $250,000, Cheong said.

"A big problem for me is there'll be no way to walk across the bridge," said Kusters about the lack of access during construction, which may last six months.

Kusters, who helped organize the Oct. 23 on-site meeting with the water district and city so neighbors could address concerns about trees, said for the most part she feels the residents were heard.

"As long as they maintain the tree canopy and the look and feel of the historic design, it should be OK," she said.

As the project proceeds, the water district and city have promised the residents that they will hold a December workshop where neighbors can offer input on the bridge's cosmetic changes and give suggestions for replanting trees.

The city will also work with VTA to provide transport for seniors and school buses to take children attending Galarza Elementary School to their campus during the bridge's closure, Cordero said.

Larry Ames, who offered an alternative bridge design to separate the bike lane and sidewalk, allowing the trees to remain, said he understood why his design was not possible, but was glad that planners considered it and was impressed that the community was included in this project compared to previous ones.

Cheong said that while the district liked Ames' design, Caltrans required the roadbed to be 38 feet or it would lose its grant funding. Ames' design would only be 31 feet.

Residents like Kusters also appreciated the city and water district's efforts to keep the neighborhood involved in the project and plan to remain active throughout the process.