SACRAMENTO (CBS13) Construction on the Tower Bridge is delayed until mid-July.

Work was supposed to start Monday to inspect and replace parts of the lifting mechanisms. However, Caltrans delayed the project. A spokesperson for West Sacramento did not give a new project timeline, nor provide a reason for the delay.

When work eventually does begin it will involve both one-lane and full bridge closures.

The Tower Bridge opened in 1935. It connects Old Sacramento to West Sacramento.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A decades-old mystery has been solved after DNA evidence links a man dubbed “The bridge hero” by local media to his family.

(source: Kristene Feldhaus)

Today the Yolo County coroner’s office identified the remains of a 1987 “John Doe” as “James Wray Miller” of Iowa. The unidentified man had jumped into the Sacramento River in an attempt to rescue people that drove off the bridge.

It’s a case that has a lot of twists and turns reaching starting in the Midwest.

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“I grew up thinking dad was a bank robber and he ran off.”

Kristene Feldhaus grew up in Ames, Iowa where her dad James Wray Miller left in his car in 1986 after being accused of robbing a bank.

Unbeknownst to her, hundreds of miles away, in September of 1987, a truck plunged off the Tower Bridge after an intoxicated bridge operator raised the span without turning on the warning lights. Two people in the truck drowned.

According to the Yolo County sheriff’s office, a few days later another body was recovered, a John Doe. That’s where things got complicated.

John Doe had another man’s birth certificate in his pocket so the coroner’s office misidentified him.

Then, a man authorities describe as a con artist claimed John Doe was his brother and took his ashes in an attempt to steal his identity. He later mailed the ashes back.

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For most of her life, Feldhaus believed her dad, who had repeated trouble with the law, was dead.

“He was an alcoholic, severe,” Feldhaus said.

But after naming her fifth child after her dad, she decided to find the truth and searched a justice department website for missing people.

“I’m looking at this picture of a John Doe and I put it up with a picture of dad, and I see my dad!” she said.

She then submitted her DNA to authorities. While she was waiting to hear more, she searched newspaper clippings about the John Doe that she thought could be her father and she found a fascinating story.

“He saw a truck go in and he ran or dove in and never came back so he was trying to help, trying to save people. And that is a huge awesome thing that I never saw coming,” Feldhaus said.

After recently learning the DNA was a match to James Wray Miller, Feldhaus said she’s glad she can now tell her kids that grandpa died trying to help people.

“It was vindication for me because I grew up thinking my dad’s not there. Dad died doing the right thing and that makes up for everything.”

YOLO COUNTY (CBS13) — After years of wondering about her father and her whereabouts, Kristene Feldhaus came to claim the remains of a man now known as a hero.

The decades-old mystery was solved after DNA evidence found her father was a man dubbed the “Tower Bridge Hero.”

Feldhaus says she feels like a weight has been lifted off her, not only finding her dad but finding out what kind of man he really ways.

RELATED: John Doe Identified As ‘Bridge Hero’ From 1987 Tower Bridge Accident

“He saw a truck go in and he ran or dove in and never came back so he was trying to help, trying to save people,” she said.

That’s the story she now knows is true. She walked on the Tower Bridge for the first time on Tuesday.

The Yolo County Coroner’s Office recently identified the remains of a 1987 John Doe as James Wray Miller of Iowa. He jumped into the Sacramento River in an attempt to rescue people that drove off of the bridge.

But no one knew who he was.

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“I don’t think he went in thinking he was going to die, I don’t think he thought anyone was going to die,” says Feldhaus.

An intoxicated bridge operator raised the span without turning on the warning lights. The truck ran off the span. Two people inside the vehicle drowned. Days later, the body of the attempted rescuer emerged.

A long, confusing process continued, but no one figured out who he was until his daughter came looking. Last year, Feldman went looking for her father through missing persons reports. She came upon a photo she thought was her dad and submitted her DNA. It was a match.

Feldman claimed her father’s ashes from the Yolo County Coroner’s Office on Tuesday. The box had a special plaque describing him as a hero.

“It’s a good feeling, I’m really happy that they think that way of him, he really left a good impression, that’s the Dad I wish everyone could’ve seen,” she said.

Her only regret is that her father’s mother passed away two weeks before the DNA evidence came back identifying him as the hero.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Lanes on the Tower Bridge will be closed starting on Monday as Caltrans performs mechanical and electrical upgrades.

Only one lane will be open in both directions from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday through Thursday Sept. 27.

Additional full closures are being floated for early October, tentatively on Oct. 4, 8 and 9.

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Work on the bridge comes more than a month after the Rio Vista Bridge on Highway 12 was closed due to mechanical problems. The bridge was stuck in the upright position and had to be lowered manually. The bridge was closed occasionally to raise the bridge manually to allow boats to pass underneath.

The Tower Bridge work was originally supposed to start in May, then was delayed until July, and is finally set to happen next week.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — More mechanical and electrical upgrades are scheduled on the Tower Bridge for the next couple week.

Caltrans said that motorists can expect delays during the week from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1 through Friday, Oct. 5 and again from Monday, Oct. 8 through Friday, Oct. 12.

Caltrans is upgrading the electrical and mechanical systems of the Tower Bridge.

The agency said one westbound and one eastbound lane will be open to traffic during those times.

The bridge will also have full overnight closures from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 8 and on Tuesday, Oct. 9.

Caltrans anticipates that bridge work will continue through the end of December. Motorists should expect delays and traffic-interfering work on weekdays and full overnight closures.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The latest on the electrical problems at the Tower Bridge:

2:52 p.m.

The Tower Bridge has reopened, but only one way is open in each direction.

Caltrans crews are also continuing work on upgrading the bridge.

It’s unclear if the electrical work is what caused the problems.

2:12 p.m.

Caltrans says electrical problems are plaguing the Tower Bridge early Monday afternoon, prompting a full closure of the road.

The bridge was stuck in the up position for a time, but it has since been brought back down.

Caltrans has closed the road to traffic due to the problems. No estimated time of reopening has been given.

Work crews have been on the bridge to upgrade electrical and mechanical systems, prompting partial road closures through the bridge.

Drivers should find an alternate route.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A tall ship’s plans have run aground in Sacramento due to some Caltrans construction.

The Hawaiian Chieftain is an annual visitor to the Old Sacramento waterfront.

“Our primary focus when we are here in Sacramento is our education programs,” said the ship’s captain Brendan Reed. “We take school kids out for field trips.”

RELATED: Electrical Problems Temporarily Close Tower Bridge

But this year, the journey was cut short by about 200 feet. Caltrans crews are repairing the Tower Bridge, and the center deck that would normally raise for ships can’t be lifted during the work.

Since the work is expected to stretch into December, the city scrambled to accommodate the ship. A dock that is normally removed in the winter was installed and new cleats were fastened for the ship to tie up.

Reed says kids will miss out on a highlight of the tour—a trip underneath the Tower Bridge.

“The drift under usually it only is about 15 seconds but there’s usually kind of a hushed pause when everybody holds their breath and waits to see it. And so especially with the students on board. they get really excited,” he said.

But he understands the need for preserving the 80-year-old bridge.

SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) — Broken bridges in the delta have drivers backed up and fed up. It’s a problem delta residents are all too familiar with, as more bridges break down.

“It’s very frustrating and it’s hard to get home,” said Linda Robertson of Rio Vista.

Caltrans says emergency repairs are now underway on the Three Mile Slough Bridge along Highway 160 north of Antioch. The problem first surfaced when the bridge became stuck in the up position earlier this week.

It’s now been lowered so vehicles can drive across, but boats are unable to pass underneath the drawbridge and road work is going to cause delays.

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“If you have to reroute it could be up to an additional hour,” Robertson said.

This breakdown comes just days after problems on the Isleton Bridge where the mechanism that locks the bridge broke.

This summer, crews worked for nearly a month to complete emergency repair work to the Rio Vista Bridge after a mechanical failure caused that drawbridge to become stuck too.

“I mean it’s a real problem. It shuts down the business in the whole area,” said Bill Wells, Executive Director of the Delta Chamber of Commerce.

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A major inconveniences for people who live, work or drive through the Delta.

“I have friends who live in Rio Vista and work in Stockton and there have been times that they’ve had to stay at a hotel in Stockton because they can’t get over here,” Wells said.

Caltrans says in many cases the bridges are old and replacement parts have to be custom ordered. Wells says Caltrans needs to be proactive.

“They need to work more with management make sure they get ahead of the game instead of reacting to problems,” he said.

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Problems that cost millions of dollars and will take years to replace and repair, according to Caltrans.

Construction on Tower Bridge in Sacramento is also underway. It will likely wrap up by the end of the month pending weather delays.

Crews will also continue work on Three Mile Slough Bridge which will affect commutes, but Caltrans says they have the parts and will likely be finished by Friday.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — This weekend’s looming storm is forcing Caltrans to cancel a scheduled closure of the Tower Bridge.

Crews were set to close the bridge on Sunday, January 6, while a helicopter removed and replaced metal assemblies. But Caltrans say the weather advisory will make it too hazardous for the contractors to fly.

The aerial work has not yet been rescheduled.

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Caltrans is reminding motorists that closures on the Tower Bridge will continue through March.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Tower Bridge is being battered by debris, a dramatic example of just how powerful the winter storms have been. A floating wood and metal dock broke free somewhere upstream and slammed into the concrete support structure of the bridge.

“It could just jam up some equipment that’s being used on the bridge,” said Dennis Keaton with Caltrans.

Caltrans bridge inspectors say there doesn’t appear to be any structural damage.

“They’ll know more about it once they’re able to get down there and take a look,” Keaton said.

Eventually, a crew will be sent out on a boat to remove the debris, but the swift runoff is making it too dangerous to remove now.

“At this point, it has to do with the currents more than anything else. Not only are the river levels higher up on the banks, but with that brings stronger currents,” Keaton said.

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It’s the latest example of UFOs, unidentified floating objects being washed downstream.

“This went up extremely fast,” said Ross Billingsley, manager of Rio City Café.

He and has a waterfront view in Old Sacramento and has been monitoring the rapid rise of the river over the last two weeks.

“You come in the next day and it will be two, four feet higher when it’s raining,” he said.

He and his coworkers have seen some strange things float by.

“My manager actually told me a funny story, he saw a large mattress floating down the river,” Billingsley said.

Anything in the water like boats, bridges, and docks are a potential target for debris.

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“We’ve had a few trees that hit the Delta King that caused damage,” Billingsley said.

It’s not just a problem at Tower Bridge. The Paintersville Bridge in the delta also has a large mass of debris piled up against its abutment.

Caltrans says that while having an entire dock is unusual, debris accumulation is actually common this time of year and part of living in a river city.

“You know Mother Nature, there’s not much you can do,” Keaton said.

Another issue is that the bridge is stuck in the down position. Caltrans will have to wait until the bridge is fixed so it can bring in a boat big enough to remove the debris but can also fit under the bridge.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Don’t plan on using the Tower Bridge on Saturday, officials warn.

Caltrans says the Tower Bridge is scheduled for a complete daytime closure for Saturday.

Workers will be adjusting the bridge’s lift and counterbalance system. They’ll also be testing the bridge’s motors and electrical system.

The bridge will be closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Drivers should plan to take alternate routes.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The 2019 Tower Bridge Dinner will feature an all-female lineup of chefs, including a two-star Michelin winner.

Suzette Gresham will lead the dinner, which is one of Sacramento’s hottest (and most expensive) tickets. Gresham is a chef at Acquerello and has held a two-star Michelin rating since 2015.

The remaining four chefs all come from Sacramento: Allyson Harvie of Ella Dining Room and Bar, Casey Shideler of Taylor’s Kitchen, Molly Hawks of Hawks Restaurant, and Tokiko Sawada of Binchoyaki.

The 7th annual Tower Bridge Dinner is Sunday, September 29. Tickets are sold out but you can enter a drawing to buy a pair of tickets for 465 dollars (not a typo). Corporate Table sponsorships are still available.

WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A man was rescued after he was found clinging under the Tower Bridge late Wednesday night.

West Sacramento Fire says their crews responded to the scene around 11:30 p.m. after a report of a naked man under the bridge.

Rescuers spotted a man clinging to the pilings under the bridge. A boat was then launched and the man was taken to safety.

Exactly how the man got under the bridge is unclear.

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The man is expected to be OK, rescuers say.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A man is facing charges after authorities say he stole a sailboat but couldn’t navigate under the Tower Bridge.

Police say the man took the boat around 9 p.m. near the docks of Old Sacramento.

But, the suspect didn’t get far after the boat got stuck in the Tower Bridge.

At one point, the man jumped off the boat and into the Sacramento River. He tried to swim away, but had to grab onto one of the pillars.

He was eventually rescued and arrested. Police have not yet released his name.

A friend of the boat’s owner claimed it wasn’t the first time that same suspect has tried to take the sailboat.

The boat has since been removed from the bridge and is now back at the dock.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – It’s a splash and dash. A man is under arrest, accused of boosting a large sailboat on the Sacramento River.

Ian Kelley, who saw most of the situation unfold from his jet ski Monday night, couldn’t believe it.

“I was just thinking ‘that this isn’t right.’ This thing up against our iconic bridge…something has to be done,” Kelley said.

Kelley told CBS13 that he helped free the sailboat from the bridge.

“It’s just something that we could maybe use — and maybe one day just sell it and make some money on it,” said the boat’s owner, Jack Holsey.

Holsey said his son Craig did most of the work on the boat before he was paralyzed in a car accident several months ago.

“We never ever planned in 100 years, you know, all of this would come to past,” Holsey said.

Holsey told he hadn’t heard about what happened on Monday night but his son was.

Craig didn’t want to speak on camera given his current state, but he told CBS13 that friends who check on the boat saw the suspect trying to untie it from the dock and they raced to tie it back up.

But, eventually, the boat was in the water.

“You let something sit like that and you’re just kind of holding your hand out there to get it knocked off. We were never planning on some of the stuff that’s happened. So, it’s turned into quite a deal,” Holsey said.

Sacramento Police said that Anthony Abernathy was arrested on theft-related charges in this incident.

The department also told CBS13 that there was another report last Saturday, May 8 with Abernathy and the boat.

But there wasn’t enough evidence to show there was a crime at the time.

Two encounters within days of each other, with the same boat. It’s something beyond bold for some.

“I’m not sure bold is the word for it, you know? He bought himself a trip to jail,” Kelley said.

Holsey’s son hopes to get down to the boat soon to move it to a different location.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Tower Bridge was closed to all traffic Tuesday morning due to a malfunction that hasd it stuck and not able to fully come down.

Car… cyclists & Pedestrians are being turned around & unable to pass on Tower Bridge. The Bridge expected to be out of service a couple hours. Cal Trans working on bad motor controlling bridge. @allyaredas @GoodDaySac @GoodDayTraffic @CBSSacramento @JohnDabkovich @TinaMacuha pic.twitter.com/B03shblEwQ

— DG (@CameraGuyDave1) May 25, 2021

Caltrans says a secondary motor gave out on the bridge. With the primary motor already out for maintenance, that left the bridge stuck with its deck not fully closed.

All traffic – including vehicle, pedestrian, and boat traffic under – were turned around.

The bridge was reopened a little after 10:30 a.m.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – The table is set for one of the most iconic fundraisers in Sacramento. The Tower Bridge Dinner helps raise money for a good cause and forges relationships within a community made famous for its farm-to-fork style dining.

“Overall, for us now, it’s about health,” said Santana Diaz, executive chef for UC Davis Health.

Diaz was going over recipes for this year’s Tower Bridge Dinner while remembering how the Farm-to-Fork festival favorite was canceled by COVID last year.

“It was quite disappointing when we had just started having meetings last March and a team,” he said.

Diaz will bring his experience to the table. He has changed hospital food – prioritizing fresh ingredients from local farmers in the thousands of meals his staff prepares daily.

He will get some help from other chefs doing the same as they will prepare more than 800 dinners for the iconic fundraiser. Even though the chefs were selected in 2020, they represent the year that was.

“We obviously have Chef Santana from a hospital network in a time when we are so reliant on healthcare. We have an executive chef from Raley’s when so many of us were looking to the grocery stores as kind of our touchstones,” said Kari Miskit with Visit Sacramento.

Other restaurants represented provided outdoor dining and to-go options when there weren’t many dining options at all. This year, Chef Diaz is bucking from tradition when it comes to the menu.

“There will be a surprise whole food plant-based dish that we will be doing and serving for the first time at the Tower Bridge Dinner,” he said.

The event, which leads into the Farm-to-Fork Festival, draws in over 100,000 people to the area. Organizers hope that this year the guest list is as diverse as the food in front of them.

“Our sponsors have the great opportunity this year to join Visit Sacramento in prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion, including who they invite to sit at their table,” Miskit said.

“What I would love people to be able to do is take away what food is really about is the relationship of where it comes from understanding that source transparency is important,” said Diaz.

Public ticket information will be announced at FarmToFork.com on July 15. All Farm-to-Fork events will return this September, including the Farm-to-Fork Festival on Capitol Mall.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento’s Tower Bridge is broken and there’s no estimated time for it to be fixed.

Caltrans says the electrical supply to the bridge’s main motor went out late friday night, which means the drawbridge is stuck in the down position.

Cars are still able to cross the span, but sailboats, riverboats and other tall ships are currently unable to pass underneath.

Caltrans says the motor and broken electrical equipment dates back to the 1930s when the bridge first opened. It was due to be replaced next summer.

Caltrans says the malfunction is not related to last week’s downtown power outage.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Tower Bridge has reopened to all traffic Monday afternoon after an hours-long closure due to police activity.

The Sacramento Police Department says officers conducted a welfare check on an individual who climbed the bridge.

That person has since come down and police say he is being taken to a hospital for mental health treatment.