The first funding is in place to resolve a major rockslide that blocked Nelson Road in Scotts Valley last year.
The California Transportation Commission approved nearly $1.2 million to help repair damage caused by the Nelson Road slide during a storm in March 2011.
The slide cut off access to 27 homes, and a temporary paved roadway on private property has been constructed around the slide to allow access to the homes.
The funding was part of $8.9 million the commission approved for transportation projects in Santa Cruz County, including $400,000 for sidewalks and bike lanes at Vine Hill Elementary School in Scotts Valley.
Slide should be left in place
The Nelson Road slide is estimated to be between 30,000 and 45,000 cubic yards of rock and soil, according to a report by Pacific Geotechnical Engineering. The report recommended two options: seeking alternate access around the slide, or rebuilding Nelson Road on a berm created by the slide at nearby Ruins Creek.
The report explains the difficulties of removing the slide debris and the hazard of more slides in the future.
“Management of the effects of the landslide if left in place is preferable in our judgment,” the report reads.
The complete report can be found online at www.dpw.co.santa-cruz.ca.us
The original estimates by Santa Cruz County Public Works pegged the job at $1.5 million, but that could be a moving target depending on which alternative the county chooses to reopen the road, according to planners at the Regional Transportation Commission.
Vine Hill to gain sidewalks
The $400,000 approved for Vine Hill Elementary School will pay for sidewalks along the school side of adjacent Tabor Drive and around the corner to Vine Hill School Road in front of the school. The sidewalks would extend to the entrance of Siltanen Park.
The money will also pay to widen the pavement along Tabor to include bike lanes and to install ramps for disabled access at the school. The ramps would conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Scotts Valley Public Works originally scheduled construction for spring 2013, but Caltrans notified the department that the area around the school could be the habitat of the endangered Mount Hermon June beetle and requested an environmental study before any work begins.
The new sidewalks would include an entrance to the back of the school on Tabor Drive to allow easier and safer access.
