Jeffrey Open Space Trail Bridge in Irvine: A New Route South

On the morning the Jeffrey Open Space Trail Bicycle & Pedestrian Bridge opened, Northwood resident Traci Maynard brought the young runners from her Flying Eagles OC club to cross it. She coaches cross-country at Beckman High School. She told the Irvine Standard what had changed for them: "We've always gone north on the trail, and now we can go south because of this new bridge."

For years the Jeffrey Open Space Trail mostly served north Irvine and pointed toward Portola Parkway. Since August 11 it also runs the other way, over the 5 and onto a new extension toward Barranca Parkway. Farther south, a separate section ends at Quail Hill, where trails continue into the coastal wilderness. The northern link is still under construction. The middle link is a proposal under review. For the next couple of years, the newest miles on this trail run south.

A trail that faced one way

The original Jeffrey Open Space Trail is 3.5 miles long, according to the City of Irvine. For most of its life, the I-5 cut it off. Anyone heading south from Woodbury or Northwood reached the freeway and had to switch to surface streets. Maynard explained to the Standard why that matters to runners and riders: "Signals are very dangerous, especially those right turners." In its September story, the Irvine Standard said the trail "mainly served North Irvine."

Cheryl Evans coached cross-country at Woodbridge High School for more than 20 years. In the same article she described the wait: "I've been waiting for this for 25 or 30 years." She also explained why distance matters: "when you have distance runners, you need a good, safe 10 miles or so." The bridge adds the first stretch south of the freeway to the miles a runner can cover off the street.

What crosses the freeway now

The City of Irvine's project page describes the bridge. It is nearly 1,200 feet long and 15 feet wide, the largest pedestrian and bicycle bridge in Irvine. It crosses three things in one sweep: the I-5, the Jeffrey Road Park & Ride lot, and Walnut Avenue. Construction began in March 2024. The finished bridge has 2,400 linear feet of steel truss railing and 40 custom-designed steel light poles, plus block walls faced in Italian Villa Stone Veneer.

On the north side, the bridge connects to the Jeffrey Open Space Trail and the Cypress Village Trail. On the south side, it connects to the new extension between Walnut Avenue and Barranca Parkway. Oak Creek resident Jay Sato told the Standard that "the fact that the bridge is curved is amazing," and that he "can't wait to ride it at night when the bridge lights are on." The City designed the lighting so the bridge works after dark as well as during the day.

Where to start

The City's opening announcement puts the bridge approach at Jeffrey Road and Walnut Avenue. It lists the Caltrans Park & Ride at 5595 Walnut Ave. for parking. From that lot you are on the bridge almost right away, which suits a shorter outing.

For a longer day that ends with the crossing, the Irvine Standard suggests parking at Cypress Community Park on Visions, north of the freeway. The City lists a restroom and six drinking fountains there, along with picnic shelters and play areas. That makes it a sensible place to start with kids, or with a dog that will want water at the end.

The northern stretch, worth knowing

Starting from Cypress means walking or riding the older section, and the older section is a long outdoor history exhibit. Lynette Brasfield's June walk for the Irvine Standard describes a 5-mile route "more like a paper clip than a loop." The timeline is set into the path itself, starting in 1562, when California first appeared on a map as an island.

A few things to stop for on the way to the bridge:

1. The packing house beams. Wooden beams that once held up the floor of the Irvine Valencia Growers Packing House, built in 1929, now stand upright in a Stonehenge-like group. Children tend to weave between them.
2. The pavilion. Hand-laid tile art there honors Irvine's historic orange-crate labels. More crate-label mosaics decorate the bench areas, and citrus trees along parts of the path recall the old Irvine Ranch groves.
3. The trivia panels. One records that California's first airplane flight took off from an Irvine Ranch bean field in 1909. Another tells the story of the Cienega de las Ranas, the "Swamp of the Frogs." That marsh once stretched from Newport Bay to near Red Hill, and 1800s travelers reportedly found their way through it on misty nights by following the frogs' croaking.
4. The restrooms and lampposts. The stone-and-timber restrooms look like national-park buildings. The gas-lamp-style lampposts nod to Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park.

Evans told the Standard she values the trail's paired dirt and concrete surfaces, its flat grade, and the mature trees that shade long runs. Those qualities are what make the southbound miles practical, not just possible.

The southern end, at Quail Hill

The Irvine Standard says the corridor's southern end ties into the existing pedestrian bridge over the 405 into Quail Hill. From there the trail system opens into the 20,000-acre South Coast Wilderness. The Oak Creek link in the middle is still to come, so for now the trip from the new bridge to Quail Hill doesn't run on one continuous trail.

According to TrailLink, the segment running south from Barranca Parkway to the 405 also connects to the San Diego Creek Trail and the Freeway Trail. Jon White of Turtle Rock was the third cyclist across the new bridge. He summed up the direction of travel for the Standard: "With another few sections, it will be a quick ride north and south through the city."

For a slice after the ride, Mr. Moto Pizza opened its second Irvine location at the Oak Creek Shopping Center, 5613 Alton Parkway, according to Pizza Today in early September. The shop is known for 48-hour dough and stuffed garlic knots.

The two links still to come

White's "another few sections" refers to two specific projects, and they are on very different timelines.

Even when the Portola bridge opens, the northern foothills won't work like Quail Hill. OC Parks says visitors reach Limestone Canyon Nature Preserve through scheduled programs that require advance registration, not by walking in.

Oak Creek Golf Club is still taking tee times, and the City's project page describes the Oak Park applications as filed and under review, not approved. In April, the City Council adopted a separate zoning text amendment that sets a framework for alternative open space. That vote did not approve any development.

The Irvine Standard describes the eventual goal as a trail across the whole city, "from the preserved open spaces in the mountains down to the Pacific coastline." The piece that exists today is the southbound one. It runs from Cypress Community Park, past the packing house beams, and over the 5 on a lit, curved bridge to the new extension toward Barranca Parkway.

At JoJo Romeo, we pay attention to the details that shape daily life here, like how far a Saturday run can safely go now. If your plans include preparing an Irvine home for market, we'd be glad to offer a complimentary home valuation and transformation plan that shows how your home's position near the trail can be part of its story.