Project Updates:
Road and Bridge Projects have been progressing since my last update. Namely, I want to take this opportunity to inform you on two of the significant Projects that are happening in the City.
Roadwork and Paving
Phase 6 of the City’s Pavement Management Program (Project) will commence on February 18th. At the December 11th City Council meeting, the City Council awarded a $1,720,000 paving and roadway work contract to Hardy & Harper, Inc. (Contractor) to complete this work as part of the overall $2,068,000 Project cost. As a reminder the four areas where work will be completed are:
• The West Whitewater Neighborhood Street Improvements. This Project will replace the asphalt on Shifting Sands, Whispering Palms Trail and Sky Blue Water Trail from Ramon Road to Mission Indian Trail.
• South Panorama Neighborhood Street Improvements. This Project will replace asphalt on Avenida La Paloma, Avenida La Gaviota and Whispering Palms Trail from Ramon Road north to Baristo Road and Baristo Road from Landau to Whispering Palms Trail.
• Avenida Ximino Neighborhood Street Improvements. This Project will replace the asphalt and fix drainage on portions of Vega Road, Avenida Ximino, Susan Drive, Paulina Avenue, Walker Street, Joaquine Way and Perlita Road.
• Avenida Maravilla (La Pasada) Street Improvements. This Project will replace the asphalt on Avenida Maravilla from Vista Chino to the northerly limits of Avenida Maravilla in the La Pasada Community.
If you live in one of the areas where this work is scheduled, I am reminding you that you will be inconvenienced during the days when the work is being done. Street signage and door hangers will be placed in advance of the work so that you are notified of parking and street access limitations.
• INCONVENIENCE: At times there will be dirt roadways, noise, vibration, smell and workers along your frontages within the right of way. In addition, your street parking may be limited, access to your street and/or driveway may be impaired. In order to complete the roadway work, these instances will predictably occur.
• TEAMWORK: This is a part of the roadway work that you, as the recipient of the new roadways, will have to participate in. Thus, I am asking that you be part of the team and understand the inconveniences, be patient and look forward to a newly paved street.
• EMERGENCY ACCESS: The Contractor and the City’s First Responders (Police and Fire) will always work hand in hand to provide emergency access when needed.
Bridge Work
The Ofelia Brings Memorial Bridge (formerly The Cathedral Canyon Bridge) Project (Bridge) is moving along and should be under construction by late spring/early summer. City Staff and consultants have already solicited and received bids for this work. As a result of our parallel processing, the City just received word from Cal Trans that our funding request for the construction contract is in the works and the outcome looks positive for an approval within weeks.
This Bridge has been “shovel ready” for some time, with all environmental approvals in place, permits and right of way acquisitions completed. Unfortunately, this Bridge could not happen without Federal Highway Bridge Program (HBP) funding (Cal Trans is the administrator of the HBP funds) and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) funding. The City’s participation costs are minor compared to the other agencies’ participation costs, but in proportion to the City’s annual budget, no less significant. To put this in prospective, this *$23,971,250 Bridge costs are funded by:
• HBP: 88.53% = $21,222,000.00
• CVAG: 75% if 11.47% = $2,061,938
• Cathedral City: 25% of 11.47% = $687,313 (this is a great deal for a $24 million project and worth the wait!)
* The numbers presented above represent the numbers we are working with today and do not reflect the final costs that may occur over the construction period for the Project.
Thus, you can see that the HBP and CVAG funding are critical to the City in being able to construct large projects of this magnitude. We hurry up the process the best we can with all the approving agencies, but the speed of our responses and paperwork submittals are met with the lengthy response times within the State and Federal agencies. Nonetheless, on this Bridge, I see that we are on the upswing of getting all the paperwork completed and the contract for the Bridge will be submitted to the City Council for approval in the next month (again subject to Cal Trans paperwork response time).
Please be extra alert in construction zones, observe the signs, drive within the speed limits and be safe!
If you have any questions regarding this Community Update and the Projects discussed, please call me, John A. Corella, P.E. at 760-770-0327 or email me at JCorella@cathedralcity.gov .
