Contra Costa County Supervisors Endorse $4.9 Million in Fixes

Local Projects Will Improve Safety, Extend Road Life

Counties and cities throughout California are putting together their wish lists for use of funds from the recently passed Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.  In Contra Costa County, the Board of Supervisors approved nearly $5 million in projects to improve the safety, reliability, efficiency and accessibility of the road network in the unincorporated parts of the County.

With work already underway in some areas to repair damage from last winter’s storms, other projects will address delayed maintenance needs and significantly improve safety.  Among the projects to be funded by July of 2018 are:

• Morgan Territory Road Slide Repair – 2017 storm damage road restoration.
• Alhambra Valley Road Washout Repair – 2017 storm damage road restoration.
• Bay Point Asphalt Rubber Cape Seal Project – Preventative maintenance/pavement surface treatment.
• Pomona Street Pedestrian Safety Improvements – Safety/Complete Streets (accessibility)
• Tara Hills Pedestrian Infrastructure Project – Safety/Complete Streets (accessibility)
• Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements Central and East County – Safety/Complete Streets (accessibility)
• Blackhawk Road Bike Lanes – Complete Streets/Safety (accessibility)

The list of projects was approved by County Supervisors on September 12, 2017.  In addition to the fixing roads damaged in the winter storms, other projects meet a variety of needs.

The Bay Point preventative maintenance project will improve the surface of 14 miles of roadway. Several projects help pedestrians and bicyclists, improving safety with bulb-outs (curb extensions), curb ramps, and flashing beacons, as well as other efforts to make cycling safer, offering an alternative means of transportation to help reduce vehicle miles traveled and growing congestion in the Bay Area.

Projects on the list are expected to be completed by the end of 2018, and work is already underway to develop Contra Costa’s project list for next year.  It is anticipated that the list will continue to focus on safety, road maintenance and rehabilitation, and multi-modal improvements.  The Road Repair and Accountability Act, based upon Senate Bill 1, provides for reliable funding into the future.

“Funding from SB1 is critical and will allow the County, other local agencies, and Caltrans to work on improving the condition of our deteriorating road network in California.  The storms of 2017 exposed the extent of the deteriorating pavement condition causing many new potholes and sinkholes to appear.  The funds will also help improve safety and expand our multi-modal network,” explained Steve Kowalewski, Deputy Director of the Contra Costa County Public Works Department.

For more information on the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1), check out the Rebuilding California website at www.rebuildingca.ca.gov.

For more information on the condition of California’s road network, check out the Save California Streets website at www.savecaliforniastreets.org.