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Transportation Department recommending the following pertaining to the Green Valley Road Bridge Replacement at Tennessee Creek:
1) Adopt the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Mitigated Negative Declaration;
2) Approve the project as described in the CEQA document (SCH 2008102030); and
3) Make the Findings A-C as recommended.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Approve.
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Fiscal Impact/Change to Net County Cost: Approval of this Mitigated Negative Declaration will not result in any fiscal impacts. The project is funded through a combination of federal and state programs, (Highway Bridge Program, Highway Safety Improvement Program and Regional Surface Transportation Program), as well as local Traffic Impact Mitigation Fee sources.
Recommended Findings: The recommended actions are based on the following findings:
A. The CEQA document on file with the Clerk of the Board and on DOT website <http://www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/DOT/ceqa.html> was prepared pursuant to Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et seq., and the 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 Green Valley Road Bridge Replacement at Tennessee Creek reflects the lead agency's independent judgment and analysis.
Reason for Recommendation: The Tennessee Creek Bridge is a narrow two-lane bridge that was constructed in 1930. The Caltrans sufficiency rating for the bridge is 48.4 and has determined that the bridge is functionally obsolete. DOT is thus eligible to receive Highway Bridge Program (HBP) funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Caltrans District 3 administers the HBRR program for FHWA in El Dorado County and is responsible to ensure the project complies with federal laws and regulations.
El Dorado County DOT is the local lead agency and prepared the Initial Study to consider the significance of potential project impacts pursuant to CEQA and in accordance with the State CEQA Guidelines (14 California Administrative Code, Section 14000 et seq.).
Project Location:
The project is located in the rural center of Rescue. From the North Shingle Road intersection, the project site extends 590 feet south along North Shingle Road, 580 feet southwest along Green Valley Road to the Green Valley Road/ Rose Springs intersection, and 1,297 feet east along Green Valley Road. (Figure 1)
Project Purpose and Objectives:
The purpose of the project is to replace a functionally obsolete bridge at Tennessee Creek with a functional bridge that is designed in accordance with current standards.
The objectives of the project are to:
1. Improve safety in the project area by increasing the width of the bridge to accommodate car and bike traffic and to improve site distances approaching the bridge by straightening the reverse curve in Green Valley Road on the bridge's southern approach;
2. Improve the Green Valley Road/N. Shingle Road intersection by channelization and signalization to improve the functionality of the intersection.
3. Facilitate safer ingress and egress to the numerous roads and driveways within the project area by constructing a continuous left turn lane from the intersection of Green Valley/N. Shingle Road east approximately 1000 feet along Green Valley Road.
Project Description:
The project proposes to replace the 29.5-foot long by 19.0-foot wide, two-lane, reinforced concrete girder bridge. The new bridge will be a three-lane, reinforced concrete, girder bridge that is 64-feet long by 52-feet wide. Green Valley Road will be realigned west of the bridge to improve site distance. Peaceful Garden Way will tie in with the realigned Green Valley Road. A continuous left turn median will extend from the North Shingle Road intersection past Peaceful Garden Way and transition into the eastbound lane prior to Oakvale Drive. The three-way intersection of Green Valley Road and North Shingle Road will be improved with signalization and channelization. The project will replant certain oak trees that would be removed by construction of the project. The proposed project is shown on Figure 2.
A detailed project description can be found in the MND document available on the County DOT website at <http://www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/DOT/ceqa.html>, or a hard copy can be obtained at the DOT offices at 2850 Fairlane Court in Placerville.
Construction Schedule
The project is scheduled to commence in 2009 and is expected to take two construction seasons to complete. The project alternative ultimately selected will determine the duration of construction.
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 in the MND Document as Appendix A.
Public Notification: The Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration was advertised in the Mountain Democrat, the entire document was posted on the DOT website and hard copies were available at the DOT offices. Individual notices were also sent to those directly affected in the project area and to relevant agencies. The review period began on October 8, 2008 and ended November 7, 2008.
Comments Received:
Several phone calls and emails were received with questions of clarification and concerns about the project. Most calls were supportive of the project and appreciated the proposed safety improvements. Concerns expressed were related to the removal of trees, and the potential for increased speed as a result of the improvements. Additionally, some residents within the Sleepy Hollow subdivision would like DOT to add a left turn pocket Sleepy Hollow Drive under the assumption that it will be more difficult to make a left turn into the subdivision.
DOT staff understands that these are reasonable concerns with the project and its impacts to the surrounding area and has responded to these concerns as follows:
The current design and alignment has been carefully selected from a number of alternatives that were considered during preliminary engineering phases. Public input and comment were taken into consideration, as well as cost, environmental impacts and resulting overall safety. The proposed alignment meets current roadway design standards and was selected to satisfy all of these criteria to the best degree, and is thereby viewed as the most appropriate and feasible solution. While it is unfortunate that a number of oak trees will be lost, only those necessary to build the project will be removed. In addition, any oaks removed within the riparian area will be mitigated by replanting at a 2:1 ratio. Professional arborist services will also be retained to provide recommendations for proper trimming for the remaining oak trees.
While it is also true that traffic may increase in speed after the improvements are completed, the overall project will result in an increased level of safety due to a wider bridge, 8-foot shoulders, and a two-way left turn lane which will provide a safe means for vehicles turning in and out of the adjacent driveways. The signalization at the intersection is justified and recommended, as it meets several traffic signal warrant criteria. Over the years, as traffic has increased in this area, there have been a number of accidents involving injuries and fatalities. DOT has been able to secure federal funding through two separate grants in order to provide these improvements.
Action to be taken following Board approval: DOT will take the following action:
1. File a Notice of Determination with the office of the County Recorder/Clerk.
2. DOT staff will proceed with the project through preparation of the plans, specifications and estimates, and Right-of-Way acquisition process.
Contact: Richard W. Shepard, P. E.
Director of Transportation
Concurrences: None