BUSD awards contracts for soils and geotechnical testing

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Construction Testing and Engineering was awarded the Bonsall Unified School District contract for soils testing and geotechnical services for Phase II of the Bonsall Elementary School operational traffic improvements.

A 5-0 BUSD board vote Feb. 15 approved a professional services agreement with Construction Testing and Engineering, which is headquartered in Escondido. The payment is based on work at hourly rates but will not exceed $5,500.

“This is continuing to create safer paths of travel for our students,” said BUSD Superintendent Joseph Clevenger.

The work is intended to relieve traffic congestion around Bonsall Elementary School. The traffic flow optimization takes into account the Rio Estrella development, which was called Golf Green Estates when the subdivision map for 94 residential lots was approved, and the future Bonsall Community Park.

Because a county park will be involved, the school district has been working with the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation as well as the county’s Department of Public Works and the office of County Supervisor Jim Desmond.

Performing the work in phases not only spreads out the expense over multiple fiscal years but also allows the work to be performed when school is not in session. The Phase I work was performed during summer 2022.

The pedestrian access improvements will be part of Phase II, and any improvements involving county right-of-way will need to undergo the County of San Diego process.

On Nov. 19, the BUSD board approved a contract with Weir Construction, which is also based in Escondido, for Phase II of the traffic improvements. The contract stipulates that construction will be completed by March 31.

Phase 2 will include a pedestrian ramp and driveway widening at the new entrance off Calle De Las Brisas. The construction will include soils excavation and compaction, concrete mixes, and the fabrication of guardrails and handrails, so geotechnical and soils inspection services are required as well as general Division of the State Architect inspection services.

“We’ve got to make sure that all of our paths of travel are safe,” Clevenger said. “This is a way to make sure that students can come and go to school safely.”

The Construction Testing and Engineering contract for the operational traffic improvements has an April 23 expiration date.