LAKE COUNTY — The Highway 53 rehabilitation project might be delayed for a year if the California Legislature doesn”t pass a budget soon.
Caltrans was getting ready to go out to bid for the Lake County Highway 53 project to add traffic lights and widen the road at Olympic Drive in Clearlake, but the budget impasse will cut funds, halting construction, said Phil Frisbie Jr., public information officer for Caltrans in Lake County.
Caltrans operates on a fund that gets replenished monthly to pay “Mr. Contractor for construction,” Frisbie said. Because the Legislature hasn”t passed the budget, Caltrans isn”t receiving funds and won”t be able to reimburse contractors for projects once reserves run out. The department stopped awarding new project bids Wednesday.
“If it continues on to late September or October, funding is going to run out,” Frisbie said. “We may have to shut down.”
Caltrans released information Wednesday on the negative economic impacts the budget delay is having on transportation projects statewide. Clearlake Mayor Judy Thein said she”s a proponent of adding a traffic signal at Highway 53 and Olympic Drive.
“It”s been a safety issue for many years,” Thein said. “There have been deaths there. There have been major injuries.”
She said the project is for the well-being of the community.
“It”s for the safety of all of those who travel that road,” Thein said. For safety reasons, Caltrans installed an all-way stop sign that was supposed to be replaced with a traffic light, Frisbie said.
“Right now that project is on hold,” Frisbie said.
If the delay is short, Frisbie said Caltrans plans to award the bid and start construction in the spring or summer of 2011.
“If it does get delayed, this project could be delayed an entire year.” If crews can”t begin construction in the spring, environmental issues might push the project back to 2012, Frisbie said.
It”s also a $14 million project, Frisbie said. A delay would mean a delay in the money and the loss of subcontractor and construction jobs. “That”s a major concern for us.”
