When is the county going to repair the bridge at Worthington Road just past the county landfill, west of Imperial? We’re nearing two years since the earthquake that shook this Valley to its core. I think that’s sufficient amount of time to expect a repair. County gravel trucks, Imperial Irrigation District staff, Navy personnel, Border Patrol, emergency responders, farm equipment and private citizens have all used this road daily since the earthquake and yet now the Highway Patrol and Sheriff’s Office have found fit to start ticketing people toward the end of each month. Really? We need the road fixed as a community. — Stranded, Imperial
It sounds like tickets will continue to be handed out at the very least until mid-year, we’re told. Worthington Road repair is one of four roads waiting for requests for authorization for construction from the California Department of Transportation. Once received, the Imperial County Department of Public Works can place the project out to bid, said ICDPW Director Bill Brunet.
Earthquake repairs for the four projects total about $1.2 million, Brunet said. Worthington Road ($517,000), Evan Hewes Highway at the New River ($548,000), Forrester Road at the New River ($90,100), and Harris Road ($67,400) are permanent restoration projects funded by the Federal Highway Administration and overseen by Caltrans, Brunet said.
The department has to follow the rules for restoration projects as stipulated by the federal government. Were the department to deviate from the established protocols it could lose out on the funds for the projects, Brunet said.
Although Caltrans said in November that the RACs for the projects would be made available by the end of 2010, that did not happen and now the county is hoping the authorization requests arrive by the end of February, Brunet said.
Once the county receives authorization, the bidding and construction phases should take about six months to complete if no burrowing owls are found within construction limits, Brunet said. Should owls be found the project’s start date will have to wait to the end of the nesting season, Sept. 1. The burrowing owl restriction does not stop the county from bidding the project and having a contractor prepared for work, Brunet said.
It sounds like tickets will continue to be handed out at the very least until mid-year, we’re told. Worthington Road repair is one of four roads waiting for requests for authorization for construction from the California Department of Transportation. Once received, the Imperial County Department of Public Works can place the project out to bid, said ICDPW Director Bill Brunet.
Earthquake repairs for the four projects total about $1.2 million, Brunet said. Worthington Road ($517,000), Evan Hewes Highway at the New River ($548,000), Forrester Road at the New River ($90,100), and Harris Road ($67,400) are permanent restoration projects funded by the Federal Highway Administration and overseen by Caltrans, Brunet said.
The department has to follow the rules for restoration projects as stipulated by the federal government. Were the department to deviate from the established protocols it could lose out on the funds for the projects, Brunet said.
Although Caltrans said in November that the RACs for the projects would be made available by the end of 2010, that did not happen and now the county is hoping the authorization requests arrive by the end of February, Brunet said.
Once the county receives authorization, the bidding and construction phases should take about six months to complete if no burrowing owls are found within construction limits, Brunet said. Should owls be found the project’s start date will have to wait to the end of the nesting season, Sept. 1. The burrowing owl restriction does not stop the county from bidding the project and having a contractor prepared for work, Brunet said.
