Title
a. Approve Amendment No. 1 to Utility Agreement No. DRB-36002 (Reimbursement Agreement or Agreement) between the County (LOCAL AGENCY) and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (OWNER) amending the estimated County share of the utility relocation costs from $2,495,361 to $4,110,722 which is approximately 79.5% of the actual net cost to PG&E estimated at $5,170,719 for the relocation of overhead transmission lines and electrical transmission poles needed for construction of the Davis Road Bridge Replacement and Road Widening Project, Project No. 3600; and
b. Authorize the Director of Public Works, Facilities, and Parks or their designee to execute Amendment No. 1 to Utility Agreement No. DRB-36002.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Approve Amendment No. 1 to Utility Agreement No. DRB-36002 (Reimbursement Agreement or Agreement) between the County (LOCAL AGENCY) and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (OWNER) amending the estimated County share of the utility relocation costs from 2,495,316 to $4,110,722 which is approximately 79.5% of the actual net cost to PG&E estimated at $5,170,719 for the relocation of overhead transmission lines and electrical transmission poles needed for construction of the Davis Road Bridge Replacement and Road Widening Project, Project No. 3600; and
b. Authorize the Director of Public Works, Facilities, and Parks or their designee to execute Amendment No. 1 to Utility Agreement No. DRB-36002.
SUMMARY:
Approval of Amendment No. 1 to Utility Agreement No. DRB-36002 (“Agreement”) with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is necessary to relocate the overhead transmission lines and electrical transmission poles (utility poles) located adjacent to Davis Road between Blanco Road and the Salinas River. The utility poles are in conflict with the widening of Davis Road as proposed by the Davis Road Bridge Replacement and Road Widening Project (“Project”).
DISCUSSION:
On October 11, 2022, the County and PG&E enter into an Agreement (DRB-3602) whereby PG&E would relocate certain electrical facilities that are in conflict with the Davis Road Bridge Project 3600. In the performance of said work, increased costs over and above those estimated at time of the execution of said Agreement were incurred due to significant increases in the design and contracted work (pole and conductor relocation), several estimate and design iterations occurred, including redesign requests and updated structure requirements, resulting in additional engineering effort. Project duration and coordination across multiple internal groups increased labor hours applied to planning, documentation, and design support. The current estimated net cost for utility relocation is approximately $5,170,719. Consistent with the Agreement the County’s share of costs is $4,110,722 which is approximately 79.5% of the total cost.
The Public Works, Facilities, and Parks Department is working on right-of-way phase of the Davis Road Bridge Replacement and Road Widening Project. The Project consists of replacing the existing two-lane, low-level Davis Road Bridge (Bridge No. 44C-0068) over the Salinas River with a longer bridge that meets current American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) requirements. The existing Davis Road Bridge is located approximately 2 miles south of the City of Salinas. The Project also proposes to widen Davis Road from two lanes to four lanes for approximately 2.1 miles between Blanco Road on the north and Reservation Road on the south.
The Project’s primary purpose is to construct an all-weather crossing over the Salinas River on Davis Road. The current river crossing is a low-level crossing that is overtopped during larger flows of the Salinas River. The concept of widening Davis Road to four-lanes resulted from the need to provide further carrying capacity between the Salinas area and the Monterey Peninsula. The need for widening was further articulated in the Regional Transportation Plans developed by the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) for the region and the Fort Ord Reuse planning documents. Furthermore, on June 24, 2015, the TAMC Board adopted the Marina-Salinas Multimodal Corridor Conceptual Plan that included the all-weather crossing and the four-laning on Davis Road between Reservation Road and Blanco Road. To further the multimodal aspect of the corridor, the Project proposes to provide class II bike lanes along Davis Road, and a bus stop-at the intersection of Blanco and Davis Roads. The Project will also reconstruct the intersections of Reservation Road/Davis Road by replacing the existing signal with a roundabout. The Reservation Road/Davis Road intersection improvements are mitigation requirements to offset the additional traffic from the East Garrison Development.
On July 11, 2016, The Board of Supervisors certified the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Project and directed the former Resource Management Agency (RMA) to proceed with the Project’s final design and related activities to be able to construct the Project. An EIR Addendum for the Project was prepared to amend the Project design details to incorporate design modifications following the Value Analysis Study Report prepared in 2017. The EIR Addendum was filed and approved by Caltrans on May 8, 2020.
The PG&E pole relocations are needed to construct the Project and PG&E cannot begin the
relocation of the overhead electrical transmission lines and poles until “Utility Agreement No.
DRB-36002” is amended and fully executed. The Agreement outlines the costs and
responsibilities of the County and PG&E as it relates to the pole relocations. Given that most of
the poles are located on pre-existing PGE easements, the County has to pay most of the
relocation cost of the electrical distribution line. The County’s share of the total cost has been calculated to be 79.5% and PG&E’s share cost is 20.5%.
The full execution of amendment No. 1 to Utility Agreement DRB-36002 is necessary to meet the requirements for the right-of-way certification to Caltrans for the Project. The Project is scheduled for construction for 2027, following the acquisition of all the easements.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Office of the County Counsel and the Auditor-Controller’s Office have reviewed and approved Amendment No. 1 as to form and fiscal provisions, respectively.
FINANCING:
The Project’s estimated total cost, including engineering, environmental, right-of-way and construction, is $105 million. The Project is currently unfunded in the amount of $6.6 million. Staff is actively pursuing additional funding sources to fully fund the Project before initiating the construction phase. If full funding is not obtained for the Project by the time final design has been completed, staff will analyze options for phasing the Project’s construction.
Funding from various Federal, State and local revenue sources has been authorized for the design and right-of-way portion of the Project. Sufficient appropriations of $26,873,905 are available for this Project phase in the Public Works FY 27 Annual Work Program for Road Fund. Therefore, there is no planned General Fund contribution for this Project.
The total estimated Project cost for the right-of-way phase of the Project is estimated at $8,201,274. This phase of the Project is largely funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highway Bridge Program (HBP). The Project is also funded by Local Funds comprised of funds from the Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP) and development impact fees. There are sufficient appropriations adopted in the FY 2026-2027 Road Fund 1201, Appropriation PFP0113 budget to finance the right-of-way phase of the Project.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS:
The Project will replace the existing seismically deficient Davis Road Bridge with a new four (4) lane bridge that meets AASHTO and Caltrans Design Standards and widen the road to four-lanes to meet the traffic needs. The recommended action supports the following Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Initiative:
Well-Being and Quality of Life
X Sustainable Infrastructure for the Present and Future
X Safe and Resilient Communities
Diverse and Thriving Communities
Prepared by: Kyle Oyama, Project Manager III, (831) 755-5090
Reviewed by: Armando Fernandez, PE, Senior Civil Engineer (831) 755-4873
Reviewed by: Enrique Saavedra, PE, Chief of Public Works
Approved by: Randell Ishii, MS, PE, TE, PTOE, Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks
The following attachments are on file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment A - Project Budget
Attachment B - Location Map
Attachment C - Utility Agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric
Attachment D - Amendment No. 1 to Utility Agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric