Editor’s note: This article was updated to include clarification from Steve Loupe. This Article was written by BenitoLink intern Alexis Castro Juarez. Lea este articulo en español aquí.
San Benito County Board of Supervisors provided an update on state and local road construction projects Nov. 21.
Supervisor Mindy Sotelo said Caltrans will wait until June or July to begin work on the Hwy 156/Union Road intersection to reduce the project’s completion time.
Originally, Caltrans was planning on closing the intersection for eight months starting sometime after Thanksgiving. However, after public comment, Caltrans will pay an extra $400,000 to the contractor to work additional hours and reduce the construction period to about eight weeks. The extra funds required are from the project’s contingency budget.
Caltrans plans to use San Juan Hollister Road, which is currently closed, to connect Union Road and Hwy 156.
Sotelo said delaying the project gives Caltrans time to complete the two-lane right turn from Hwy 156 to Hollister San Juan Road, which is currently closed. She said she hopes it will help improve the flow of traffic, adding that she hopes the Hwy 25/156 turbo roundabout project is complete before the Union Road/Hwy 156 intersection is closed.
The Union Road/156 intersection closure is part of the Caltrans $105.9 million San Benito Route 156 Improvement Project, which includes constructing five miles of four-lane expressway between The Alameda in San Juan Bautista and Business Route 156 in Hollister. The project is funded by the State Transportation Improvement Program and local funds.
Local roads
Public Works Administrator/County Engineer Steve Loupe said the county is scheduled to begin striping roads (placing pavement markings) near Anzar High School the week of Nov. 27. He told BenitoLink the project area is adjacent to the high school on Chittenden Road and San Juan Highway. He also said the striping installation will begin on Nov. 29 and should be completed before the holidays.
Loupe said he has been asked why the county is not rebuilding Santa Ana Valley Road and he replied: “Just to even restrip the center line Santa Ana Valley Road was about $140,000, which we had the budget to do that segment. To reconstruct 7.5 miles of Santa Ana Valley Road would be $4.6 million. Obviously, we would like to reconstruct Santa Ana Valley Road and a lot of other roads, but we had the $150,000 and we don’t have the $4.6 million.”
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour, United Way, Taylor Farms and the Emma Bowen Foundation.
You must be logged in to post a comment.