Contract approved for guardrail replacements

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors authorized a construction contract which will include replacing guardrails in Rainbow, Bonsall, and Fallbrook.

The supervisors' 5-0 vote June 9 authorized the advertisement for bid and subsequent award of a construction contract to install new guardrail segments and replace existing guardrail end sections at 115 locations throughout the unincorporated portion of the county.

The bid package is structured with a base bid consisting of 85 locations and an additive alternative with 30 sites which can be added to the contract should funding permit. Seven of the Greater Fallbrook guardrails are on the base bid list while the other eight are additive alternatives. All 15 of those will be upgraded rather than new guardrails.

Each year the county's Department of Public Works repairs, installs, and replaces guardrails and end sections along roads where guardrails have been damaged or where DPW has determined the greatest need to upgrade existing guardrails to current design standards. The list of 115 sites was based on field reviews, customer reports, existing guardrail condition, and safety assessments. The guardrails were then prioritized based on traffic volume, speed limits, nearby hazards, guardrail conditions, and other design characteristics.

Three of the base bid guardrails are along southbound Rainbow Heights Road between Via Ladera and Rainbow Crest Road. A fourth southbound Rainbow Heights Road guardrail between Via Ladera and Rainbow Crest Road is on the additive alternative list.

The other Rainbow guardrail in the base bid is along northbound Old Highway 395 south of Fifth Avenue. Three other Rainbow guardrails are on the additive alternative list: on eastbound First Street between Huffstatler Street and Chica Road, on westbound First Street between Huffstatler Street and Chica Road, and on northbound Old Highway 395 north of Rainbow Valley Boulevard.

The two Bonsall guardrails which are part of the base bid are both on Old River Road; one is for northbound motorists south of Little Gopher Canyon Road and the other is for southbound traffic south of Little Gopher Canyon Road.

The three Bonsall guardrails on the additive alternative list are all on West Lilac Road: one for eastbound traffic west of the Interstate 15 overcrossing, one for eastbound traffic east of the I-15 overcrossing, and one for westbound traffic east of the I-15 overcrossing.

A Fallbrook guardrail for northbound Olive Hill Road traffic south of Elm Tree Lane is among the base bid upgrades. The additive alternative guardrails include one for northbound Shearer Crossing traffic south of Pankey Road.

The $2,695,000 cost to fund the contract, which includes a 10% contingency to cover unforeseen conditions, will utilize a $2,000,000 balance in the county's Road Fund and $695,000 of Highway User Tax Account revenue obtained from sales tax on gasoline.

All work will be performed within the existing county right-of-way, so no right-of-way acquisition is needed. The construction on a countywide basis is scheduled to begin in fall 2021 and take between six and seven months to complete.

Prior to the start of construction, signage, mailings, or notifications on doorknobs will be used to notify nearby residents and businesses, and social media postings will also notify residents about the upcoming work. During construction traffic, control measures will be implemented to minimize the impacts to the community and the traveling public.