Supervisors authorize contracts for culvert repairs on South Mission, Couser Canyon, East Vista Way

Two 5-0 San Diego County Board of Supervisors votes Jan. 26 authorized the advertisement for bid and subsequent award of construction contracts for culvert replacement and lining.

One authorized contract will provide for the replacement of drainage culverts at three locations, including South Mission Road, and the construction of drainage improvements at a Lakeside intersection. The other contract authorizes the lining of drainage culverts at 32 locations, including Couser Canyon Road and East Vista Way.

The county’s Department of Public Works maintains more than 14,000 culverts in San Diego County’s unincorporated areas. County road crews inspect all culverts on a cyclical basis and prioritize them for rehabilitation or replacement. Culverts nearing the end of their design life are inspected by field engineering staff members to determine the best rehabilitation strategy; lining of drainage culverts can return the culvert to a structurally sound condition with minimal disruption to the traveling public while replacement of a culvert is required if the culvert’s condition makes rehabilitation infeasible. The four new drainage culverts will have an estimated 60-year service life which will assure their long-term functionality.

Both contracts will be funded by gas tax revenue already budgeted for Fiscal Year 2010-11. The contract for lining the culverts has an estimated $425,000 construction cost while the contract to replace the three existing culverts and provide the Lakeside drainage improvements has a $275,000 cost estimate. Construction for both contracts is expected to begin in April and be complete by the end of July.

The South Mission Road culvert to be replaced is 1,804 feet north of Green Canyon Road. The Couser Canyon Road culvert to be rehabilitated through lining is 1,270 feet south of milepost 4.0 while the East Vista Way culvert slated for lining is 1,757 feet south of Gopher Canyon Road.

To comment on this story online, visit http://www.thevillagenews.com.