Carmageddon: Chanticleer overcrossing close to completion; rail trail ribbon-cutting draws hundreds

One of the most noticeable components of the ongoing Highway 1 expansion project in Santa Cruz County is heading toward completion, and is likely to be open to cyclists and pedestrians within weeks.

The horseshoe-shaped pedestrian/bicycle bridge crossing Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and Capitola at Chanticleer Avenue, bearing eight whale cutouts made of sheet metal, is well on its way to completion, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony slated for July 30. Once completed, the bridge will connect the sections of Chanticleer Avenue on either side of Highway 1.

Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) spokesperson Shannon Munz told Lookout that the Chanticleer overcrossing is very close to completion, with the majority of the remaining work occurring at the base of the bridge where it meets the road and sidewalk on the Soquel Avenue side of the overcrossing.

“There is some uneven pavement that needs to be fixed, but it is very, very close,” she said. “It’s just making sure that there is a smooth exit from the bridge to the road and sidewalk.”

Munz said crews have been working overnight to complete the project quickly, but some of the design needed to be reevaluated to make sure that the drainage in the area and the slope of the roadway safely connect to the bridge.

Although the ribbon-cutting date is set for the end of July, Munz said the overcrossing should be open for use before then — likely within weeks, although she said there is currently no specific date that crews expect to complete the project.

Ribbon-cutting for new section of rail trail draws huge crowd

The excitement surrounding the completion of Segment 7, Phase 2 of the Coastal Rail Trail was clear last Wednesday morning at its ribbon-cutting ceremony, which drew hundreds of locals ready to walk the short segment.

The Westside section of trail, which runs between the intersection of California Street and Bay Street and the Santa Cruz Wharf, creates an unbroken link from Natural Bridges State Beach all the way to the wharf. It was delayed numerous times over two years due to weather issues and a complicated project area that involved maneuvering around many gas, electricity and water utilities in the area.

The ceremony involved more than just formally introducing the new segment of trail to the community. The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History staff brought a display of ancient sloth bones found during construction, and the Roaring Camp Railroads beach train made an appearance at the intersection where the trail begins. Further, students from Bay View Elementary School participated in the first walk on the trail after the ribbon was cut.

“This ribbon cutting isn’t just about a new bike path, it’s about celebrating the next generation of environmental stewards,” said Bay View Elementary principal and Santa Cruz City Councilmember Renee Golder in a news release prior to the event. “Bay View Elementary students are leading by example, showing how schools can be powerful catalysts for change.”

RTC executive director Sarah Christensen told the gathering that the project would not have been possible without voters’ 2016 passage of Measure D, which provided funding to be used exclusively for transportation infrastructure maintenance and improvements.

The next segments slated for groundbreaking are Segments 8 and 9. The former starts at the wharf and runs to the San Lorenzo River trestle, while the latter goes from the San Lorenzo River trestle to 17th Avenue in Live Oak. Segment 8 could break ground as early as a year from now, while Segment 9 might be ready for construction in two years, but could take longer.

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Check out our Carmageddon road project list here. This week, pay particular attention to:

• The Highway 1 off-ramps at Park Avenue will be closed for months as part of the Highway 1 expansion project. The southbound off-ramp was closed for six months starting April 17. The northbound off-ramp was closed April 7 and will stay closed for four months.

• The installation of a water treatment plant pipeline will take place along Soquel Drive between Cunnison Lane and Cinnamon Street in Soquel from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Cunnision Lane from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. The closures will move between lanes and will last until early July.

• The two rightmost lanes on southbound Highway 1 between Soquel Drive and Bay Avenue/Porter Street will be closed overnight on Sunday and Monday from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. At the same time, there will be alternating closures of the 41st Avenue and Soquel Drive off-ramps.

• The installation of the Newell Creek Pipeline on Graham Hill Road between Summit Avenue and Lockewood Lane will take place on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and could cause delays of up to five minutes.

• There will be overnight single-lane closures of Soquel Drive between La Fonda Avenue and State Park Drive from Tuesday through July 1 for repaving and striping along the road. The closures will take place between 7:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. from Sundays through Thursdays.

• Tree work, utility work and slope repair will close down sections of Highway 9 from Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those sections are between California Drive/Middle Road and Irwin Way and Prospect Avenue and Lorenzo Avenue.

• In Watsonville, a single lane on Green Valley Road from Holohan Road to Casserly Road is closed for the Multi-Use Trail Improvement Project. Lane closures occur from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Additionally, a single lane is closed on Buena Vista Drive and Ranport Road for overhead tree trimming on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., causing potential delays.

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