The San Diego County Board of Supervisors authorized a construction contract which will include replacing three guardrails in Alpine.
The supervisors’ 5-0 vote Oct. 6 authorized the advertisement for bid and subsequent award of a construction contract to install three guardrail segments in Alpine and one in unincorporated Escondido. The action also appropriated $427,000 for the contract, designated the director of the county’s Department of Public Works (DPW) as the county officer responsible for administering the contract, and found the project categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review. The work will replace 150 feet of guardrail near Japatul Road and Dehesa Road, 125 feet in the 20200 block of Japatul Road, and 125 feet of guardrail 2,500 feet southeast of the 20200 block of Japatul Road.
In August 2018 DPW applied for a Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program grant to design and construct the Alpine and Escondido guardrails. The Federal Highway Administration funds the grants, but in California the program is administered by the California Department of Transportation. Caltrans authorized the preliminary engineering phase in December 2019, and that phase is now complete.
The $427,000 budgeted for the contract includes a 20 percent contingency above the estimate in case unexpected conditions are encountered. Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2022 and be complete by summer 2022. 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 ensure safe vehicle and pedestrian access, and DPW staff will be on-site through the duration of the project and will be available to respond to any project-related inquiries by the public.