Title
Approve the acceptance of a $350,000 grant for the roundabout portion of the Davis Road Bridge Replacement and Road Widening Project (Project) from the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD) AB 2766 grant program.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Approve the acceptance of a $350,000 grant for the roundabout portion of the Davis Road Bridge Replacement and Road Widening Project (Project) from the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD) AB 2766 grant program.
SUMMARY:
Approval of the grant will provide necessary funding for the Project and reduce the County’s overall unfunded portion. California Assembly Bill 2766 (AB 2766) signed into law in 1990 permits the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD) to allocate a $4.00 per vehicle registration surcharge fee towards grant projects that reduce motor vehicle emissions, such as roundabouts. MBARD has offered the County of Monterey an AB2766 grant in the amount of $350,000 to supplement committed funds to construct the Project.
DISCUSSION:
The County of Monterey, Public Works, Facilities and Parks (PWFP) staff applied for grant funding with MBARD for the roundabout portion of the Davis Road Bridge Replacement and Road Widening Project (Project) which meets the AB2766 Clean Air Management Grant Program requirements. The County has secured the grant funding for the Project. The Project is located south of the City of Salinas in the heart of the Salinas Valley in the County of Monterey. The Project consists of widening a key regional route in Monterey County that connects the City of Salinas and the Monterey Peninsula, the two largest population centers in the County. The existing transportation network connecting the Salinas valley and the Monterey Peninsula is already stretched to its limits with daily backups. The two key Project elements include the replacement of the existing two (2)-lane, low-level Davis Road Bridge over the Salinas River with a longer bridge that passes the 100-year flood level and meets the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) requirements. It also includes the widening of Davis Road from two (2) lanes to four (4) lanes for a distance of approximately 2.1 miles between Blanco Road on the north and Reservation Road on the south. The road widening work will include the construction of the proposed roundabout at the Davis Road/Reservation Road intersection.
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.
On June 13, 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved the grant funding application for the roundabout portion of the Project; authorized the Director of PWFP, or designee, to act as the agent for the County in processing all documentation to secure these funds; and directed the County of Monterey PWFP to return to the Board for approval prior to acceptance of any grant award(s).
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Project has been included in transportation plans for the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) Regional Transportation Plan, Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), and Federal Transportation Plan (FTP). The County is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), while Caltrans is the lead agency under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
FINANCING:
PWFP will use the funds for the roundabout component of the Project as it is currently only partially funded. The Project’s estimated total cost, including engineering, environmental, right-of-way and construction, is $77.7 million. The Project is currently unfunded in the amount of approximately $23.9 million. This grant would reduce the unfunded amount to approximately $23.6 million. Staff is actively pursuing additional funding sources to fully fund the construction phase of Project, including $21.0 million from the Federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program. If full funding is not obtained for the entire Project by the time final design has been completed, staff will analyze options for phasing the Project’s construction.
PWFP has secured $49.2 million in funding for the Project, mainly through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highway Bridge Program (HBP). Funding from various Federal, State, and local revenue has been authorized for the design and right-of-way portion of the Project. Sufficient appropriations of $6,554,715 are available for this Project phase in the Public Works FY 23 Annual Work Program for Road Fund, Fund 002, Unit 8558. Therefore, there is no planned General Fund contribution for this Project.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
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 by constructing a sustainable, physical infrastructure that improves the quality of life for County residents and visitors. The recommended action supports the following Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Initiatives:
Economic Development
_ Administration
_ Health & Human Services
X Infrastructure
X Public Safety
Prepared by: Enrique Saavedra, PE, Senior Civil Engineer, (831) 755-8970
Reviewed by: Tom Bonigut, PE, Assistant Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks
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