The first phase of long-awaited changes to make the lower portion of Graham Hill Road in Felton safer for motorists is officially under way.
Santa Cruz County Supervisors approved the plans for the estimated $2.68 million job and sent it to bid at their Tuesday, Nov. 9, meeting.
“This is a huge step,” supervisor Mark Stone said. “We’ve been waiting for the money to come in to start this project.”
The Graham Hill Road Improvement Project will widen the shoulder on the north (downhill) side of the road near Summit Avenue and Grandview Road, significantly improve the drainage ditches along the road with a mainline drainage collection system and create a left-hand turn lane at Roaring Camp Railroads.
“There is no room for anyone to make a mistake,” Stone said of the deep drainage ditches along the roadway. “This will give people a little more room to maneuver.”
Despite a sign that says “No left turn” at the Roaring Camp Railroads entrance, motorists from out of town often stop there before making the left turn across the busy roadway. Traffic traveling down the hill must stop on the downhill curve behind them, creating a hazardous situation.
“We acknowledge a left-hand turn pocket was needed there,” Santa Cruz County Public Works assistant director Steve Wiesner said.
The turn lane will allow motorists headed down the road to pass the cars turning left into Roaring Camp.
The improved drainage will make it so runoff from the roadway does not pool at the bottom of the hill and spill onto the roadway. The road will also get a new asphalt overlay with grooves, similar to how the roadway is paved.
“The county feels like it has worked closely with Mark Stone’s office and the community to bring a project that everyone has agreed to,” Wiesner said, noting that after much work, all the permits are in place and the project is ready to go.
Part of the permit process was finding ways to avoid disrupting the endangered Mount Hermon June beetle, Wiesner said.
Contractors must submit bids by Dec. 2, and the contract is scheduled to be awarded Dec. 14; however, construction is not expected to begin until April, for completion in November 2011. Wiesner said the county plans to host a community meeting in February to talk with residents about the traffic plan, which will likely include some slowdowns.
“We will try to keep traffic live,” Wiesner said. “There may be intermittent traffic control, but our goal is to keep Graham Hill open as often as we can.”
The estimated total cost of $2.68 million will be paid by the California State Transportation Improvement Program and local road dollars. Wiesner said there is a second phase, not yet funded, that includes road improvements all the way up Graham Hill Road to the Santa Cruz County Juvenile Hall facility.
