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Community Development Agency, Transportation Division, recommending the Board take the following actions related to the Alder Drive at EID Canal - Bridge Replacement (No. 25C0069) Project, CIP No. 77123:
1) Adopt the California Environmental Quality Act Mitigated Negative Declaration; and
2) Approve the Project as described in the California Environmental Quality Act document.
FUNDING: This Project is included in the Adopted 2013 Capital Improvement Program and is funded through the Federal Highway Administration Local Assistance Highway Bridge Program, authorized under the 100% Funded Program (Federal Funds).
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Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost
Adoption of this Mitigated Negative Declaration and approval of the Alder Drive at EID Canal - Bridge Replacement (No. 25C0069) Project (Project) will not result in any fiscal impact.
The recommended Board actions are based on the following findings:
A) The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) document on file with the Clerk of the Board, and on the Community Development Agency, Transportation Division website, http://www.edcgov.us/DOT/index.html, was prepared pursuant to Public Resources Code §21000 et seq., and the State CEQA Guidelines.
B) There is no substantial evidence that the Project, as mitigated, will have a significant effect on the environment.
C) The Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Project reflects the lead agency's independent judgment and analysis.
Background
The Community Development Agency, Transportation Division (Transportation) is proposing to replace the functionally obsolete Alder Drive Bridge over the El Dorado Irrigation District (EID) Canal with a culvert that meets current design standards. The Project is located just north of U.S. Highway 50, approximately 2.5 miles west of the community of Pollock Pines. Just south of the Alder Drive Bridge, Alder Drive intersects with the Pony Express Trail approximately 2 miles east of the intersection of Pony Express Trail and Carson Road (see Attachment C for location maps).
The Alder Drive Bridge was built in 1930. It is 18-feet-wide and has two substandard width lanes. A Bridge Inspection Report conducted by Caltrans in 2011 indicates that the bridge has a sufficiency rating of 53.2/100, and has exhibited evidence of girder undermining. The Bridge Inspection Report also indicates that the bridge girders were cast directly into the ground. Transportation has evaluated both rehabilitation and replacement options for the existing bridge and has determined that replacement of the bridge is the most cost effective approach for correcting the functionally obsolete status of the bridge.
Transportation is the CEQA lead agency and prepared the MND to consider the significance of potential Project impacts in accordance with the State CEQA Guidelines (14 CA Administrative Code, §14000 et seq.). Certification of this MND would complete the CEQA portion of the environmental phase toward ultimate delivery of this Project. This is a federally funded project; therefore, FHWA designated Caltrans as the lead agency to administer the National Environmental Quality Act (NEPA) Categorical Exclusion, utilizing the required studies completed by the County. At this time, NEPA is not yet approved.
Project Description: The Project involves replacing the existing 32-foot-long, 18-foot-wide, two-lane, reinforced concrete, slab bridge with a double-barrel culvert (two 36-inch or equivalent size circular culverts) that meets current design standards. The proposed culvert would tie in with the existing 30-foot-wide roadway providing two 12-foot traffic lanes and 3-foot shoulders on each side of the roadway. The proposed culvert would be located at the existing bridge location. All widening would occur along the eastern side of the existing roadway.
The section of the EID Canal in the study area is no longer used for water transport. In the past, it was a continuous channel that connected to a water treatment facility upstream of Alder Drive, but sections of the canal have been filled in and have disrupted this connection. The canal is dry year-round except for local runoff during storm events.
A detailed Project description can be found in the MND document (Attachment B), or on the Transportation website at <http://www.edcgov.us/Government/DOT/CEQA.aspx>. A hard copy can be obtained at the Transportation offices at 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville.
Construction: The Project is anticipated to be constructed within a single construction season in spring/summer. Alder Drive would be closed within the limits of the project area for approximately three months during construction. During this period, traffic would be detoured to Fern Avenue, an adjacent County road, for an approximate 0.5-mile detour.
Mitigation Measures: Mitigation measures are added to the Project to reduce potential impacts to a level of insignificance. The Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan can be found within the MND Document.
Public Notification: The Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration was advertised in the Mountain Democrat and the entire document was posted on the County website at <http://www.edcgov.us/Government/DOT/CEQA.aspx>. Hard copies are available at the Transportation offices at 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville. Individual notices were also sent to those directly affected in the Project area and to relevant agencies. The public review period began on December 2, 2013 and ended January 3, 2014.
A public meeting was held on July 29, 2013 at the Pollock Pines/Camino Community Center to receive comments on both the Alder Drive Bridge and the Blair Road Bridge over the EID Canal.
Public Comments: Standard agency comments on the Draft MND were received during the public review period from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. The following comments were received from a local resident:
1) I support this project as a much-needed improvement to the existing bridge infrastructure as well as the roadway. Improved site distances with tree removal need to be incorporated into the site design, as vehicles will tend to travel at higher speeds due to accommodating two-way travel over the new bridge (boxed culverts). If funding becomes available sooner than projected, I support an accelerated construction schedule (2014 or 2015).
2) The diagrams both at the meeting and in the MND for the project do not depict the business driveway associated with the Cedar Grove Market (APN 076-230-24) and its encroachment onto Alder Drive prior to the intersection with Pony Express Trail. Presently, there are near misses, as the trees and large rock obscure the view between vehicles leaving the market westerly, and vehicles crossing the bridge in a southerly direction. The traffic design should at a minimum create a stop bar marking on the pavement between the commercial business driveway and Alder Drive.
Response to Comments: Improved site distance will occur in the Project area, including the area of the driveway for the Cedar Grove Market, through a combination of the new project configuration, tree trimming, and tree removal where needed. Alder Drive will be widened to the east towards the Cedar Grove Market. Some tree trimming and tree removal will occur to accommodate the wider culvert crossing. Transportation will evaluate site distance further and incorporate any additional improvements to the design if needed.
Transportation will take the following actions following Board approval:
1) File a Notice of Determination with the office of the County Recorder/Clerk.
2) Transportation staff will proceed with the Project through the NEPA clearance process, then to final design and construction.
Contact
Bard R. Lower, Transportation Division Director
Community Development Agency
Concurrences
County Counsel