CLEARLAKE — City Engineer Bob Galusha recently provided status updates on capital outlay projects in the City of Clearlake.
Updates were provided on two Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) projects as well as a Transportation Enhancement project.
Environmental clearance on the Dam Road SRTS project is expected by April 1. The bicycle/pedestrian project includes the widening and rehabilitation of Dam Road from Lake Street to a point approximately 1,000 feet to the northwest.
Galusha said that the existing road will be widened from its current width of 18 feet to approximately 32 feet to provide fro two 12-foot travel lanes and a 4-foot bike/pedestrian lane on each side of the road.
In addition, the project, which is completely funded by a federal highway”s SRTS grant, includes re-striping and bicycle/pedestrian lane signage between Lake Street and the Walmart intersection. Project grant is $311,527.
During the project”s environmental review process, it was discovered that the project area is within an Indian archaeological site.
“As a result, the city was required to hire an archaeologist to complete various studies required by Caltrans and the project was redesigned to reduce impacts to the site,” Galusha stated in his report, adding that Caltrans” approval is expected in the near future.
“Caltrans will be forwarding required archaeological engineering studies to the State Historic Preservation Office for their review and comment.” Galusha said assuming environmental clearance is received, the city”s engineering consultant, Coastland Civil, will complete the final plans and specifications by June. “We would bid the project for construction in July,” he said.
The Old Highway 53 SRTS project is also completely federally-funded. It will widen Old Highway 53 from Lakeshore Drive to Olympic Drive to allow the construction of 4-foot-wide bicycle/pedestrian lanes on each side of the roadway. Project cost is estimated at $321,367.
Galusha said the city received Caltrans” authorization to proceed with environmental and preliminary engineering on the project in January. The environmental review, he said was completed on Feb. 1. He said it will also be necessary to complete an archaeological survey and a Historical Property Survey Report on the project. “A realistic project schedule cannot be developed until these two archaeological studies are completed and the results are known,” he said.
Galusha said staff is considering submitting a SRTS grant application for curb, gutter and sidewalk improvements in the area of Pomo Elementary School.
The city”s Transportation Enhancement project includes the Austin Park curb, gutter and sidewalk and bikeway project as well as the Old Highway 53 bike lane project from Lakeview Drive to Highway 53.
The project is a federally-funded grant project; however, Galusha said that the rehabilitation of an existing roadway section on Austin Road is not grant-eligible and the city will be required to pay that share of cost, which he said is estimated to be approximately $27,000.
The total SRTS project grant is $416,000. The project is expected to be put out to bid for construction in June or July.
