County approves sidewalk, curb, and gutter rehabilitation contract

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors authorized the advertisement for bid and subsequent award of a contract to remove and replace damaged concrete road infrastructure including sidewalks, curbs, gutters.

The supervisors' 5-0 vote June 9 authorized the director of the county's Department of Purchasing and Contracting to take the necessary actions to advertise and award a contract while designating the director of the county's Department of Public Works as the county officer responsible for administering the contract. The supervisors also found the repair and maintenance work categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review.

DPW conducts regular inspections which identify locations for potential improvement, and input from citizens also contributes to the list of potential projects which are prioritized based on where public safety can be best improved. A list of 288 locations was identified based on budget, location, professional engineering judgment, liability risk, safety considerations, potential drainage impacts, potential impacts to roadways or other infrastructure, and consideration for underserved communities.

The bid packages are structured to include 258 of the highest-priority sites in the base bid and the other 30 locations as an additive alternative which can be added to the contract if funding permits.

The locations include seven on Alturas Road, six on Pala Mesa Drive, five on North Main Avenue, four on South Main Avenue, three on Cozy Court, two apiece on Daisy Lane and Via Altamira, and one apiece on Alvarado Street and Sancedo Terrace. All of those are in the base bid.

A balance in the county's Road Fund will provide $700,000 of the $1,200,000 estimated contract cost with Highway User Tax Account revenue derived from the sales tax on gasoline funding the other $500,000. The estimated contract cost includes a 10% contingency to cover unforeseen conditions.

All work will be performed either within existing county right-of-way or on easements obtained from private property owners. 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. Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2021 and be complete during spring 2022.