With extreme weather putting increasing stress on California’s roads, bridges and flood control system, Governor Jerry Brown announced on Feb. 24 a series of immediate and longer-term actions to fix the state’s aging transportation and water infrastructure, including Highway 156 through the San Juan Valley in San Benito County.
“Recent storms have pounded the state of California resulting in a dam spillway eroding, roads crumbling and levees failing,” said Brown. “Our aging infrastructure is maxed-out. We can take some immediate actions — and we will — but going forward we’ll need billions more in investment.”
During the storm season, Brown’s emergency declarations have enabled the California Department of Transportation to begin more than $595 million in repairs to the state’s roads and bridges damaged by erosion, mud and rock slides, sink holes and flooding.
Friday’s request to the president includes an initial list of 51 priority transportation and water infrastructure projects, which California submitted to the federal government earlier this month. Among the 16 transportation projects listed is San Benito County’s State Route 156 Improvement Project.
The SR 156 Project proposes a new four-lane expressway from The Alameda in San Juan Bautista to Union Road (west of Hollister), and two-lanes from Union Road to the San Benito/Santa Clara County Line. The project would relieve congestion, reduce commute time and provide for efficient support of movement of goods throughout the Central Coast and state.
Beyond the current storm season, California faces a broad array of transportation infrastructure challenges: $59 billion in deferred maintenance on highways and $78 billion on local streets and roads. To fix these roads and bridges, Brown and legislative leaders are working to meet the goal they set to complete a transportation funding package by April 6.
Following up on his commitment to work with Washington, D.C. to invest in California’s infrastructure, Brown sent a letter to the president seeking expedited environmental review under Presidential Executive Order 13766. This request covers 10 projects: nine high-priority transportation projects and reconstruction of the Oroville Dam spillways.
For a complete list of the 51 projects, click here.
For information on the State Route 156 Improvement Project, contact COG Executive Director Mary Gilbert at 831-637-7665, ext. 207 or email her at mary@sanbenitocog.org.
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