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Department of Transportation recommending the Board take the following action pertaining to the Revised Latrobe Road Realignment Project: Additional Hot Mix Asphalt Overlay Portion, Capital Improvement Program Project No. 73359:
1) Adopt the California Environmental Quality Act Addendum to the Latrobe Road Realignment Project Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration; and
2) Approve the Project as described in the California Environmental Quality Act document.
FUNDING: State Proposition 1B Funds.
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Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost: Adoption of this Addendum will not result in any fiscal impact nor change to Net County Cost.
Recommended Findings:
A. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) document on file with the Clerk of the Board was prepared pursuant to CEQA, Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et seq., and the CEQA Guidelines.
B. There is no substantial evidence that the project will have a significant effect on the environment.
C. The Addendum to the Latrobe Road Realignment Project Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Revised Latrobe Road Realignment Project: Additional Hot Mix Asphalt Overlay Portion reflects the lead agency's independent judgment and analysis.
Reason for Recommendation:
Project Background: The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors approved the Latrobe Road Realignment Project (Realignment Project), also referred to as the Latrobe Road North of Ryan Ranch Road Project in the 2010 Capital Improvement Program (CIP), on June 16, 2009 and adopted the accompanying Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) in May of 2009. The Realignment Project is located approximately 800 feet north of the Latrobe Road/Ryan Ranch Road intersection and 4.4 miles south of U.S. Highway 50 and consists of a realignment and overlay of 1,600 feet of Latrobe Road.
The proposed revision to the Realignment Project would include an additional 1,800 foot long Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) overlay portion which would extend the southern end of the previously-approved Realignment Project farther south. This Addendum addresses the potential environmental impacts associated with the HMA overlay portion.
The additional section of roadway pavement is in poor condition with significant "alligator" cracking, many areas of localized base failure, and storm water ponding. The objective of the proposed overlay is to improve the pavement condition and lengthen service life of the pavement on Latrobe Road between postmile (PM) 6.7 and PM 7.0.
The Realignment Project is funded by the Federal High Risk Rural Road grant program. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is responsible for quality assurance and is providing oversight for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as the federal Lead Agency for NEPA for the Realignment Project. Studies have been submitted to Caltrans to support a Categorical Exclusion (CE) under NEPA.
The Department has been allocated State Proposition 1B funds for the HMA overlay portion of the revised project. The HMA overlay portion, while not funded by the same source, is still considered to be part of the Realignment Project and will be advertised for construction bids as one project. Caltrans will be revalidating the NEPA review for the Realignment Project to include the HMA overlay portion in the CE.
Project Description: The proposed HMA overlay portion includes repairing and replacing unsound/unstable asphalt pavement, reconstructing existing dikes, placing HMA overlay across the roadway and shoulders and throughout the Project limit, and placing additional shoulder backing from PM 6.7 to PM 7.0 on Latrobe Road. The paved traffic lanes would be restriped to 12 feet wide in both the northbound and southbound directions.
Project Construction: The Department will contract with a construction contractor who will be responsible for compliance with all applicable rules, regulations and ordinances associated with construction activities and for implementation of the adopted construction-related mitigation measures applied to the Realignment Project. Construction of the HMA overlay portion is proposed to commence in the summer of 2011 in conjunction with the Realignment Project and will require approximately three months to complete. A traffic management plan will be required including construction staging and traffic control measures to maintain and minimize impacts to traffic during construction. Minor stoppages or delays may be necessary, but full road closure will not occur.
Mitigation Measures: Mitigation measures were added to the Realignment Project due to potential biological and cultural impacts associated with the realignment portion of the project. The proposed HMA overlay portion does not involve realignment, but simply an asphalt overlay, minor shoulder work, and striping. The HMA overlay portion does not result in any significant impacts, therefore, no mitigation is required.
Agency and Public Notification: No additional public notification from that done for the MND is required, pursuant to Section 15164(c) of the CEQA Guidelines as follows:
15164.(c) An addendum need not be circulated for public review but can be included in or attached to the final EIR or adopted negative declaration.
Action to be taken by the Department following Board approval:
1) A Notice of Determination will be filed with the office of the El Dorado County Recorder/Clerk.
Contact:
James W. Ware, P.E.
Director of Transportation
Concurrences: County Counsel