The Guy West Bridge, built in 1966 as a replica of the Golden Gate Bridge, has transformed into a work zone with the Eastern Tower now hidden by scaffolding and plastic sheeting.

Repairs to the bridge, which began this summer, include the removal of the lead-based paint and repainting with the bridge’s original color, international orange.

Maintenance to the suspension cables, bridge deck and railing are also listed in a City of Sacramento press release.

According to Maxwell Katt, an engineer with Quincy Engineering, repairs being made to the bridge are progressing on schedule.

“I think it might be helpful for people to know that it’s on schedule to complete early this winter, likely by Thanksgiving,” Katt said.

The walkway has been narrowed by chain-link fences and signs asking cyclists to dismount before crossing.

The bridge will be closed completely on weekends in September and October to ensure the safety of passers-by while the contractor works on the upper areas of the bridge, such as the suspension cables.

The fencing, cycling restrictions and noisy machinery are all part of a restoration project by the City of Sacramento to ensure the integrity of the bridge, which is nearing 50 years old.

Rehabilitation of the bridge is meant to continue its “safe performance and sustain it for years to come,” said Linda Tucker, a media and communications specialist with the City of Sacramento.

Katt, the bridge engineer, said the project excited him personally. He graduated from Sac State in 2007 with a civil engineering degree.

“It’s a bridge I crossed a lot going to school,” he said. “And it’s kind of neat to work on something that you’ve grown up around and engage yourself all the time.”

Guy West Bridge connects Sac State to the Campus Commons, allowing students to cross the bridge to get to class. Students had mixed reactions to the repair work.

Nathaniel Johnson, a computer engineering major who lives in the Campus Commons, said he was in favor of the repairs but thought the narrowed walkway and restrictions on bicycles made crossing harder.

“I just wish it [the repair work] was when I was gone,” he said.

Chanel Manzanillo, a computer science major, agreed with the decision to restore the bridge.

“If they want to do repairs, I guess that’s great,” Manzanillo said.

Manzanillo said not all cyclists get off their bikes upon reaching the bridge. She thought the restrictions might affect bikers more than walkers “because they don’t dismount.”

Steve Noyse, an electrician who crosses the bridge on bike rides, called the restoration work “awesome.” It was his first time crossing the bridge with repairs under way.

He said the Guy West is “probably one of the best bridges to cross the river on.”