Quick Take
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission on Thursday will consider awarding a contract for construction management services for Segment 12 of the Coastal Rail Trail. Meanwhile, the county’s annual road work is underway, with Mid-County projects set to wrap up this week.
The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) will consider awarding a contract to architectural and infrastructure design firm HNTB Corporation for construction management services for Coastal Rail Trail Segment 12.
Segment 12 is planned to run 1.25 miles in Aptos from State Park Drive to Rio Del Mar Boulevard. The services involved in the contract would include a review of both the trail and the Highway 1 auxiliary lanes and bus-on-shoulder project, as the two projects are getting built at the same time. The review is necessary to understand coordination as well as any conflicts between the two projects.
The total scope of the services will also address risk management, utility coordination, environmental compliance and administrative needs. The contract is not to exceed $6,485,882, and while actual construction is expected to take about 22 months, the contract involves both pre- and post-construction services, and staff currently believe that it will need the construction management services over the next three or four years.
Staff recommends awarding the contract to HNTB through June 30, 2030. The commission will consider approving the move at its Thursday meeting, scheduled for 9 a.m. in the Watsonville City Council chambers and via Zoom.
County wrapping up first round of annual road maintenance in Mid-County
Santa Cruz County’s Community Development and Infrastructure department is finishing its first round of annual road maintenance, which kicked off in late April in the Mid-County area.
Each year, the county takes time throughout the spring, summer and fall to get local roads into the best shape possible for the winter season, when wet, stormy weather often hampers or entirely prevents the ability to do roadwork. It typically involves a number of different things, including spot paving, cutting overgrown vegetation, drainage maintenance and repaving.
This week is the final week of roadwork in Mid-County, and is expected to wrap up on Thursday. Department spokesperson Tiffany Martinez told Lookout on Friday that the final maintenance areas in Mid-County are 41st Avenue between Melton Street and Bain Avenue in Capitola, Happy Valley Road in Happy Valley and Chanticleer Avenue between Soquel Drive and Portola Drive in Live Oak.
Martinez added that crews will move to North County next, with work expected to begin in early July, assuming that Mid-County projects are completed on time. South County will be the last region, with work expected to begin in September.
Work is taking place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays with traffic control measures in place. Drivers should expect minor delays in work areas.
Latest news
Here’s what’s happening this week on our roadways:
- Pavement repair is causing overnight closures of northbound and southbound Highway 1 from Sunday through Thursday. The northbound closures will be between State Park Drive in Aptos and Bay Avenue in Capitola, Rob Roy/Freedom Boulevard in Aptos and Mar Monte Avenue in La Selva Beach, the on-ramps at northbound Park Avenue in Soquel and Larkin Valley Road in Watsonville, and the off-ramp at Bay Avenue.
- Roadway excavation is shutting down the southbound Highway 1 on-ramp at Park Avenue until Aug. 19.
- There is a six-week closure of the southbound Highway 1 auxiliary lane between Soquel Drive in Live Oak and 41st Avenue in Capitola due to guardrail work.
- Emergency sewer work in Soquel Village could occasionally block access to driveways, sidewalks, on-street parking and interrupt sewer service on weekdays until June 30, on Soquel Drive, Porter Street and Main Street. Work on Soquel Drive will be overnight from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Porter and Main streets. Shorter-duration pothole repair work on Porter, Main and Center streets and Daubenbiss Avenue will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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