Cal-Trans Projects
Today’s Date: Thursday, April 30, 2009
District: 5 (Santa Barbara, SLO, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties)
Contact: Susana Z Cruz (bilinguall) or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*** UPDATE ***
TWO HELICOPTER OPERATIONS IN BIG SUR AREA BEGIN NEXT WEEK
BIG SUR — Two helicopter operations for two separate emergency projects within a mile of each other on Hwy. 1 near Limekiln Creek Bridge and Lucia will take place starting next week on Wednesday, May 6, Caltrans officials have announced.
Rain Rocks: Work is scheduled to occur for two days on Wednesday, May 6 and Thursday, May 7. Construction hours are from 7 am to 6 pm on both days. Up to 45-minute traffic delays are expected for this operation and the location is near Limekiln Creek Bridge.
This work is part of the on-going emergency rockfall protection and the contractor for this $900,000 emergency project is Hi Tech Rockfall Construction, Inc. of Forest Grove, OR. Work is scheduled to be complete by mid-June. No operations will take place during Memorial Day Weekend. Additional helicopter operations are expected in the next few weeks but are not scheduled at this time.
Dani Creek Slide: Work is scheduled to occur for two days on Monday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 12. Construction hours are from 7 am to 6 pm on both days. Up to 45-minute traffic delays are expected for this operation and the location is near Lucia. Work is primarily for geotechnical investigation and the contractor for this $100,000 emergency project is AIS Construction Company of Ventura. Work is scheduled to be complete before Memorial Day Weekend.
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Today’s Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2009
District: 5 (Santa Barbara, SLO, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties)
Contact: Susana Z Cruz (español) or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROCKFALL DRAPERY REPAIR ON HWY. 1 NORTH OF LIMEKILN CREEK BRIDGE
BIG SUR – A six-week project to repair the existing rockfall drapery system that has been damaged by fire and winter rock slides on Hwy. 1 at Rain Rocks near Big Sur, just north of Limekiln Creek Bridge began Monday, April 27, Caltrans officials have announced.
Work consists of one-way reversing traffic control with flaggers and work hours are Mondays through Fridays from 7 am to 4 pm. No lane closures will be done on Memorial Day weekend, from May 22 through May 26. Up to 10 minute delays can be anticipated during normal operations.
Helicopter operations will also be scheduled. Up to 30 minute delays max can be expected during these operations. Construction is scheduled to be complete in early June.
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Date: Monday, April 27, 2009
District: 5 (Santa Barbara, SLO, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties)
Contact: Susana Z Cruz (español) or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASELEFT TURN LANE REALIGNMENT ON HWY. 1 IN BIG SUR RESUMES TOMORROW
BIG SUR—Work will resume on the left turn lane realignment project on Highway 1 in Big Sur at the Big Sur River Bridge on Tuesday, April 28, Caltrans officials announced.
Construction on the project began October 2008, and was suspended due to weather for the 2008/2009 winter.
There will be one-way reversing traffic control Mondays through Thursdays from 8 am to 4 pm and on Fridays from 8 am to 12 noon. Up to 10-minute delays are anticipated. Work is expected to be complete in early June 2009, weather permitting.
The contractor for this $535,000 project is Pavex Construction Division of San Jose.
Caltrans reminds motorists that ‘we’re here to get you there’.
For traffic updates on other state highway projects in Monterey County, residents can call the District 5 toll free number at 1-831-372-0862 or can visit our website at HYPERLINKhttp://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/maint/road/upmon.htmwww.dot.ca.gov/dist05/maint/road/upmon.htm
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Today’s Date:Wednesday, January 7, 2009
District: 5 (Santa Barbara, SLO, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties)
Contact: Susana Z Cruz (español) or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HELICOPTER OPERATION FOR ROCKFALL DRAPERY PROJECT ON HWY 1 IN BIG SUR–NEXT WEEK FOR ONE TO TWO DAYS ONLY
BIG SUR—The helicopter operation of the emergency contract to construct a rockfall drapery system to prevent landslides at various locations on both directions of Hwy. 1 just north of Torre Canyon Bridge begins next week, Caltrans officials have announced.
Work is scheduled for two days from Monday, Jan. 12, to Tuesday, Jan. 13 but may be completed early due to factors such as weather, winds and visibility. Work hours are from 9 am to 4 pm both days. Up to 45-minute delays can be anticipated for this operation.
This work is part of the on-going emergency rockfall protection project resulting from the Basin Complex Fire. The rockfall drapery system will be used to prevent rockfall on this steep and denuded slope. Vegetation on the slope was lost as a result of the Basin Complex fire. The slope is now extremely prone to landslides.
The contractor for this emergency project is AIS Construction Company of Ventura.
Caltrans reminds motorists that ‘we’re here to get you there’.
For traffic updates on other state highway projects in Monterey County, residents can call the District 5 toll free number at 1-831-372-0862 or can visit our website at www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/maint/road/upmon.htm
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10/13/08:
LEFT TURN LANE REALIGNMENT ON HIGHWAY 1 IN BIG SUR BEGINS NEXT WEEK
BIG SUR—A three-month left turn lane realignment project on Highway 1 in Big
Sur at the Big Sur River Bridge will begin next Monday, October 13,
Caltrans officials announced.
There will be one-way reversing traffic control Mondays through Thursdays
from 8 am to 3 pm and on Fridays from 8 am to 12 noon. Up to 10-minute
delays are anticipated. Work is expected to be complete in January 2009,
weather permitting.
The contractor for this $535,000 project is Pavex Construction Division of
San Jose.
HELICOPTER OPERATION FOR ROCKFALL DRAPERY PROJECT ON HWY 1 IN BIG SUR–NEXT
WEEK FOR ONE DAY ONLY
BIG SUR—The helicopter operation portion of the emergency contract to
construct a rockfall drapery system to prevent rockfall at various locations
on both directions of Hwy. 1 just south of Torre Canyon Bridge begins next
week, Caltrans officials announced.
Work is scheduled for three days from Tuesday, Oct. 14, through Thursday,
October 16, but can be completed early due to factors such as weather, winds
and visibility. Work hours are from 7 am to 4 pm Mondays through Fridays. Up
to 45-minute delays can be anticipated for this operation.
For the rest of the project, the northbound lane will be closed under
one-way reversing traffic control with flaggers. Work hours are from 7 am to
4 pm Mondays through Fridays. Work on Saturdays may be required to complete
the project on time. 10-minute delays can be anticipated during normal
operations.
Work is scheduled to be complete by the end of October, weather permitting.
The rockfall drapery system will be used to prevent rockfall on this steep
and denuded slope. Vegetation on the slope was lost as a result of the Basin
Complex fire. The slope is now extremely prone to rockfall. The project
extends for approximately 14 miles from just south of Lime Creek Bridge to
just south of the Big Sur Maintenance Station.
The contractor for this $1.8 million emergency project is AIS Construction
Company of Ventura.
Caltrans reminds motorists that ‘we’re here to get you there’.
For traffic updates on other state highway projects in Monterey County,
residents can call the District 5 toll free number at 1-831-372-0862 or can
visit our website at http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/maint/road/upmon.htm
#####
CALTRANS PRESS RELEASE:
The California Department of Transportation is scheduled to begin a road-widening project Monday [Oct.6th] that will slow traffic on state Highway 1 in Monterey County for several months.
The highway will be reduced to one lane of reversing traffic control on weekdays while crews start a project to widen Highway 1 and realign a left turn lane near Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park in Monterey County, Caltrans reported.
Construction will begin Monday and is expected to last until the end of February.
CALTRANS PRESS RELEASE:
Today’s Date:Tuesday, September 16, 2008
District: 5 (Santa Barbara, SLO, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito
Counties)
Contact: Susana Z Cruz (español) or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROCKFALL DRAPERY SYSTEM ON NORTHBOUND HWY 1 IN BIG SUR–NEXT WEEK
BIG SUR—An emergency contract to construct a rockfall drapery system to
prevent rockfall at various locations on northbound Hwy. 1 just south of
Torre Canyon Bridge will begin next Monday, Sept. 22, Caltrans officials
announced.
The northbound lane will be closed under one-way reversing traffic control
with flaggers. Work hours are from 7 am to 4pm Mondays through Fridays.
Work on Saturdays may be required to complete the project on time. 10-minute
delays can be anticipated during normal operations and up to 30-minute
delays during helicopter operations. Dates and times of helicopter
operations are not yet determined and will be announced soon.
Electronic message signs are currently in place to alert motorists. Work is
scheduled to be complete by the end of October, weather permitting.
The rockfall drapery system will be used to prevent rockfall on this steep
and denuded slope. Vegetation on the slope was lost as a result of the Basin
Complex fire. The slope is now extremely prone to rockfall. The project
extends for approximately 14 miles from just south of Lime Creek Bridge to
just south of the Big Sur Maintenance Station.
The contractor for this $1.8 million emergency project is AIS Construction
Company of Ventura.
Caltrans reminds motorists that ‘we’re here to get you there’.
For traffic updates on other state highway projects in Monterey County,
residents can call the District 5 toll free number at 1-831-372-0862 or can
visit our website at www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/maint/road/upmon.htm
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9/12/08:
CALTRANS PRESS RELEASE:
Date: Friday, September 12, 2008
District: 5 (Santa Barbara, SLO, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito
Counties)
Contact: Susana Z Cruz (español) or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3189
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROCK SCALING OPERATION ON HIGHWAY 1 IN BIG SUR BEGINS NEXT WEEK
BIG SUR—A three-day rock scaling operation on Highway 1 in Big Sur will
begin next week at three separate locations, Caltrans officials announced.
1. Tuesday, September 16: Between Big Sur Park Campgrounds and Juan Higuera
Creek Bridge from 8 am to 3 pm
2. Wednesday, September 17: Between Torre Canyon Bridge and Grimes Canyon,
from 8 am to 3 pm.
3. Thursday, September 18: Between Torre Canyon Bridge and Grimes Canyon,
just north of previous location, from 8 am to 3pm.
There will be one-way reversing traffic control and up to 30-minute delays
can be anticipated.
Electronic message signs are currently in place to alert the local
motorists. Every effort will be made to complete the work within the time
frames and dates shown.
The rock scaling project is being done by our crews as part of Caltrans’
winter preparation.
Caltrans reminds motorists that ‘we’re here to get you there’.
For traffic updates on other state highway projects in Monterey County,
residents can call the District 5 number at 1-831-372-0862 or can visit our
website at www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/maint/road/upmon.htm
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/maint/road/upmon.htm
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8/27/08: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RE CLOSURES ON PITKINS/RAIN ROCKS PROJECT:
DRAFT
TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT PLAN
Highway 1 Improvements at Pitkins Curve and Rain Rocks
SUMMARY
Construction of Bridge and Rock Shed is estimated to take 790 days or approximately 4 years
Construction is scheduled to begin in September of 2009 [NOTE: Apparent delay from March starting date, probably due to possible winter problems from the fire.]
Contractor will have four types of traffic control available to construct the project:
Type I: single open lane, 12 feet wide, regulated by a traffic signal
Type II: single open lane, 12 feet wide, regulated by a flagger
Type III: Full road closure during nighttime hours. Can occur between 9PM Sunday night and 7AM Friday morning. The contractor throughout the duration of the project can use this closure with one-week notification.
Type IV: Allows a total of 12 full daytime closures with a maximum duration of 2 hours per calendar year for the life of the project. These closures can occur after 8am Monday morning until 4pm Thursday afternoon and are allowed to last from 15 to 120 minutes. This closure requires one- week notification by the contractor.
The “corridor” for this project is considered to be between Highway 1/46 (near Cambria) and Carmel Valley Road (near Carmel). The District Traffic Manager (DTM) has set a maximum corridor delay limit of 30 minutes or less. Every effort will be made in advance to coordinate adjacent jobs to minimize delay.
Bicycles, Pedestrians, Delivery Service Vehicles, Bus Services, and Emergency Services have been notified by the current public outreach. Continuing outreach will include a public awareness campaign to include flyers, radio advertising, newspaper advertising, a webpage, and the placement of construction area signs. During construction the motorist can access current road information by dialing Caltrans Highway Information Network (CHIN). In addition the Road Information Bulletin (RIB) is updated weekly by the DTM and is available on the D-5 website (www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/road_information). Incident management and contingency plans will be required as stated in the project specifications. The contractor will provide a detailed contingency plan including key contact personnel for emergency notification.
The Caltrans Traffic Management Center will operate the changeable message signs noted on plan sheet TH-6, located within the corridor for closure Type III and IV.
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8/27/08: This is the draft plan upon which comments are being sought. Kirk Gafill, President of the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce, commented on this draft, indicating that one concern for the businesses is that calling the 30-120 minute traffic stoppage “closures” rather than “delays” will cause many tourists to believe the road is in fact “closed” for much longer periods, and result in tourists continuing to think of the road as “closed” long after the delays have ceased. Kirk also asked for a designated Cal-Trans manager to handle all communications with the Chamber and with the BSVFB.
JULY 2008 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
DRAFT
TRANSPORTATION
MANAGEMENT
PLAN
Highway 1
Bridge and Rock Shed Project at Pitkins Curve and Rainrocks Near Limekiln State Park, on the Big Sur Coast Monterey County (05-MON-01 PM 21.3/21.6) EA No. 05-0E9601
Prepared by_______________________________________________
Christine C. Kahn
Registered Civil Engineer
Transportation Management Plan Coordinator
TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT PLAN
Transportation Plan for the Improvements at Pitkins Curve and Rain Rocks on Highway 1 near Limekiln State Park
1 PROJECT INFORMATION
1.1 SCOPE OF WORK & BACKGROUND
Location
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) proposes to construct a 240-foot long rock shed and a 620-foot long bridge at two adjacent locations commonly known as “Pitkins Curve” and “Rain Rocks”, just north of Limekiln State Park on Highway 1 of the Big Sur Coast in Monterey County. The project will address recurring rockfall and persistent landslides at these locations.
Background Highway 1 on the Big Sur Coast is a world-renowned attraction and is traveled by thousands of tourists every year. The highway is the only direct coastal link to the communities between San Simeon and Carmel providing access to many residences, businesses, emergency services and public facilities. Keeping the highway reliable, and in good repair is crucial to the local economy and poses a challenge for the Department. Rockfall and landslides at this location frequently impact the highway, typically during the rainy winter months. Each event requires road repair and removal of slide material, resulting in traffic interruptions and increases in public and highway worker hazards. On average the road is closed at this location for approximately 10 days each year in order to clear debris from the roadway and/or realign the roadway. In years of catastrophic failure, the roadway has been closed for up to one month. Annual costs for emergency roadwork and repairs at this location average approximately $1.0 million but have been as high as $3.4 million in years of heavy storm damage.
Scope of Work and Schedule Construction of the bridge and the rock shed is estimated to take 790 working days or approximately 4 years. Construction is scheduled to begin in November of 2009. The project site is located in a remote area, surrounded by steep slopes on either side of the roadway. Due to the complexity of the structures to be constructed and the site constraints, the roadway will be limited to one-way traffic control regulated with signals through most of the duration of the project. In addition, occasional multi–hour full closures at night will be necessary to complete certain job tasks, as well as approximately 12 daytime closures per year lasting up 120 minutes in duration. For a more detailed description of traffic impacts please refer to Project Traffic Delays, Sub-Section 2.1.
Purpose Of Transportation Management Plan The Transportation Management Plan (TMP) outlines steps to minimize project related traffic delays and maximize public and worker safety. The TMP summarizes the process for distribution of accurate and timely information to the public, in order to minimize impacts to vacationers, businesses, residences, schools, public services and special events during construction. In addition, the TMP provides design and project specific Standard Special Provisions (SSP’s) to be included in the project contract to ensure that the Contractor follows the requirements of the TMP.
Personnel
Caltrans staff with primary responsibility for development and implementation of the TMP is as follows:
Dave Rasmussen Project Manager
Jim Perano Design Manager
Amir Saedi Project Engineer
Jacques Van Zeventer District Traffic Manager
Susanna Cruz District 05 Public Information Officer
Charlie Hench Resident Engineer
Christine Kahn TMP Coordinator
Contractor To be determined
1.2 EXISTING HIGHWAY FACILITY
Roadway
The Pitkins Curve project is located on State Route 1 in Monterey County between Post Mile (PM) 21.3 and PM 21.6 south of the community of Lucia. State Route 1 is a two-lane highway with lane widths averaging 12 feet and shoulders ranging from 2 to 4 feet. The existing shoulders within the project limits are 2 feet. The current design speed is 45 mph, and the current operational speed is 35 mph. The project site is approximately 200 feet above the Pacific Ocean, with an embankment slope of 1.5 to 1 leading straight down to the ocean. The adjacent uphill slopes are covered with wire and cable mesh drapery to control rockfall that comes from the approximately 340-foot high cliffs above the roadway.
Traffic Volumes
The traffic study was evaluated with construction beginning in 2009. The forecasted values were derived from the count volumes in the Traffic and Vehicle Data Systems Unit website (Caltrans). The forecasted 2009 Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) for the route (both directions) is 2340 vehicles. The forecasted Design Hourly Volume (DHV) in both directions is 414 vehicles. Truck volume is estimated at 1%.
Project Phasing
Construction of the Rock Shed and Bridge will be preformed in stages to minimize traffic impacts. The complexity of construction operations and equipment and material storage associated with this location require that the TMP address each stage of construction and allow for several different types of traffic control. For a more detailed description of construction phasing refer to Sub-Section 2.1, Highway 1 Traffic.
2 TRAFFIC IMPACTS
2.1 GENERAL TRAFFIC IMPACTS
Traffic flow will be affected throughout the duration of the project due to construction of the two structures and the large amount of material and equipment that will be transported over the highway. Approximately 9,800 cubic yards of concrete and pre-cast pieces will be delivered by an estimated 850 truckloads.
Highway 1 Traffic
Traffic impacts vary depending on stage. For all stages of construction, temporary railing and delineators will be used to separate the vehicle traffic from the work zone. In addition, the speed limit will be reduced within the construction zone for the duration of the project.
Stage 1
This stage will realign the existing roadway to provide adequate room for construction activities, earthwork and drainage. The contractor will be encouraged to keep two-lane traffic open as long as possible while they proceed with work outside the traveled area. This stage of construction is expected to last approximately 55 days. Occasional day and night time full closures will be necessary for the placement of materials and large equipment. All full closures during each stage of construction will require the contractor to provide one-week advance public notice.
Stage 2
This stage will grade to construct the bridge, construct the bridge shoring systems and working platforms, construct the bridge main bent foundations and columns, maintain the rock fence and clear out slide material. Construction activities will shift from one side of the road to the other, shifting lane alignment accordingly. This stage of construction is estimated to last 230 days. Most of the work during this stage can be done during the day with minimal traffic delays. Occasional day and nighttime full closures will be necessary for platform construction, crane placement, drilling and material delivery.
Stage 3
This stage will grade, drill and construct the bridge abutments, complete construction of bridge main bent foundations and columns, grade and construct the working platform for the rock shed exterior bent, construct the exterior rock shed bent and retaining wall, construct the exterior concrete barrier and hand railing on the rock shed and viaduct, grade and place roadway section at the exterior rock shed bent, maintain the rock fence and clear out slide material. The duration for this stage is expected to last 205 days. It is likely that the contractor will require full road closures during some of these activities.
Stage 4
This stage will remove the temporary traffic stripe, place new traffic stripe and channelizers, grade and construct the interior rock shed bent, and a portion of the headwall and the interior retaining wall as well as construct the bridge end spans and main span cantilevers. Expected duration of this stage is 195 days. Short-term full closures during the day and nighttime are anticipated for simultaneous work on the rock shed and bridge.
Stage 5
This stage will include construct the rock shed roof, pre-cast panels, overlay and parapet, construct the rock shed headwall, drainage system, barrier and architectural finish, complete the bridge main span segments, backfill behind the rock shed interior wall and grade, construct bridge approach slab, concrete barrier and railing. Stage 5 and Stage 6 are expected to last approximately 105 days. Placement of the rock shed roof panels and construction of the headwall may require daytime road closures anywhere from 15 minutes to 120 minutes. Full closures during the day and nighttime are anticipated during this stage.
Stage 6
This stage will place permanent asphalt concrete (AC) and stripe the new roadway, complete the concrete barrier connection and end treatment, remove rockfall protection and temporary drainage systems, remove temporary and old AC, and construct treatments. There is a potential for short-term delays associated with completion of the final project stage.
Project Traffic Delays The contractor will have four types of traffic control available in order to construct the project.
Type I Traffic Control This type of traffic control will occur 7-days per week and consist of a single open lane, 10 feet wide, regulated by a traffic signal. Delays during Type I control would last no more than 15-minutes. Type I traffic control will be utilized throughout the course of the project and requires no special notification to the community or emergency personnel.
Type II Traffic Control
This type of traffic control will occur 7-days per week and consist of a single open lane, 10 feet wide, regulated by a flagger. Delays during Type II control would last no more than 15-minutes. Type I traffic control will be utilized throughout the course of the project and requires no special notification to the community or emergency personnel.
Type III Traffic Control This type of traffic control will be utilized by the contractor for activities that would involve full road closures and can be done during nighttime hours. Type III traffic control would allow full ten-hour closures to occur between 9PM Sunday night and 7AM Friday morning. The contractor may use Type III closures only when completely necessary and with the approval from the Resident Engineer and the District 5 Traffic Manager. This type of closure will require one-week prior notification to the public.
Type IV Traffic Control
This type of traffic control allows a total of 12 full daytime closures per calendar year for the life of the project. These closures are allowed to last anywhere from 15 to 120 minutes. This type of control will only be required for work that cannot safely be done at night. Type IV control will require 1-week notification prior to the closure. Emergency personnel will be allowed access at all times.
Corridor Traffic Delays
The “corridor” for this project is considered to be between Highway 1 and the Junction of State Route 46 south of the town of Cambria and Carmel Valley Road in Carmel. The District Traffic Manager has set a maximum corridor delay limit of 30 minutes. Spacing between closures on a 2-lane conventional facility should be no less than 5 miles to allow queues to disperse between closures. Also, adjacent projects may create traffic control conflicts. The following table identifies other projects scheduled for the corridor that will be under construction concurrently.
2.2 ADVERSE EFFECTS ON SPECIFIC TYPES OF TRAFFIC AND MITIGATION
Bicycles
Highway 1 is part of the Pacific Coast Bike Route and is utilized by bicyclists regularly. There is no designated bicycle lane along the entire route and, therefore, the bicyclists must share the narrow roadway with vehicles in some locations. The majority of bicyclists ride south through the Big Sur Coast. Bicycle traffic will be accommodated through the construction zone alongside vehicular traffic throughout the duration of the project.
Pedestrians Pedestrians on this portion of the highway are rare, but occasionally do travel the highway. The most significant location of pedestrian travel is north of the project site, in the vicinity of Big Sur Valley, Esalen, and Garrapata State Park. Pedestrian traffic will be accommodated through the construction zone alongside vehicular traffic throughout the duration of the project. This project is not expected to have a significant impact to pedestrian travel.
Delivery and Service Vehicles Numerous vehicles service the Big Sur Area for deliveries on a varied schedule. Vehicles carrying mail, garbage, and service delivery trucks with groceries, fuel, and parcels all travel Highway 1. Notification by the business owners and advance noticing by the Public Awareness Campaign will be a necessary component to keeping the deliveries and/or services on schedule with minimal delay.
Trucks Truck traffic consists of 1% of the volume of vehicles using the highway. The Resident Engineer and Contractor will be required to notify the Caltrans Permits Office of any changes to vertical or horizontal clearances that would adversely affect trucks.
Bus Service Provided by Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) originates from the north and ends at Nepenthe (PM 43.8) April – October. Notification to MST will be provided by PIO and updated throughout the duration of the project.
Emergency Services Incident response is provided by Monterey County Emergency Communications by dialing 911. They provide tactical incident and dispatch communications for ambulance services, Sheriff, CHP, and the Volunteer Fire Departments that service the area. Caltrans also uses the Big Sur Coast Emergency Operations and Notification Plan (established in the Corridor Management Plan, 2004) as a means of initiating and maintaining communications and operations during full closures of Highway 1 along the Big Sur Coast. The stakeholder list is updated periodically. Monterey County Emergency Communications will receive contact information from the Resident Engineer and Contractor. The Resident Engineer will monitor changes in access, so emergency vehicles will not be delayed. Monterey County Emergency Communications will receive adequate notice of closures and detours.
2.3 YEARLY and ONGOING LOCAL EVENTS
Amgen Bicycle Race – February – ATOCGeneralInfo@amgentourofcalifornia.com
Big Sur Marathon – April – bsim.org
(831) 625-6226
Big Sur River Run – October – BigSurRiverRun.org
(831) 624-4112
Henry Miller Library – Summer – henrymiller.org,
(831) 667-2574
Hidden Gardens Tour – June – bigsurarts.org,
(831) 667-1530
Jade Festival – October – PacificValley School – Pacificvalleyschol.com/jfest.html
(831) 394-8315
Closures would not be scheduled during these events and/or weekends leading up to these events. The Monterey County and the Big Sur Chambers of Commerce will be notified and updated periodically by Caltrans District 5 Public Information Office (PIO) and the Resident Engineer.
2.4 POINTS OF INTEREST
Hearst Castle (SLO-01 PM 57.82)
Elephant Seal Rookery (SLO-01 PM 61)
Lighthouse/Piedras Blancas (SLO –01 PM 63.77)
Point Lobos (MON-01 PM 70.42)
PIO will contact these locations and provide updated traffic related information throughout the duration of the project.
3.0 MITIGATION OF TRAFFIC IMPACTS
The Transportation Management Plan outlines a series of strategies to be used during the entire construction of the project. The following strategies will be implemented:
Public Information
A Public Awareness Campaign will be established and coordinated by PIO. PIO will establish a public forum prior to construction with members of the community, residents, commerce bureaus, businesses, Sheriff Departments, The California Highway Patrol, The Monterey County Office of Emergency Services, and advisory groups. The group members will be active participants in providing Caltrans with input in the final development of the Transportation Management Plan and its implementation. Updated information will be available on a website. Ongoing coordination with the RE and contractor will be in effect for the duration of the project to provide updates.
Media
Radio Advertising- approximately two weeks prior to construction
Newspaper Advertising
Materials
Flyer: A Fact Sheet will be created on the project consisting of information such as project limits, project description, purpose and need, projects features, and time schedule. It will also include a visual representation of the completed proposed improvements. The flyer will be used for public distribution.
Webpage: A webpage will be developed on the District 05 website dedicated to the project for all project information- Project description, location, purpose & need, cost, schedule. It will also include construction activity, progress traffic information and will provide an opportunity for communication between staff and the public by email.
Motorist Information The motorist can access current road Information by dialing Caltrans Highway Information Network (CHIN) at 1-800-427-ROAD. The Road Information Bulletin (RIB) is updated on a weekly basis by the District Traffic Manager and is located on the D-5 website (www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/road_information). In addition changeable message signs will be posted at two decisions points. In the south: Highway 1/46 south of Cambria and in the North: Carmel Valley Road near Carmel.
Construction Area Signs Construction Area Signs will be placed north and south of the project site, notifying the traveling public of upcoming construction. Changeable Message signs will be used for notification when the road will be closed with no vehicular traffic passing except Construction or Emergency Personnel. These are identified as “hard closures.”
Incident Management California Highway Patrol provides service in this area. Due to the remoteness of the area often times Caltrans Maintenance Personnel are the first to respond and assist with traffic control until emergency services can arrive.
Construction Project phasing has been maximized in order to keep impacts as low as possible. The construction phase of the rock shed has been staged to begin prior to completion of the bridge. In addition the contractor will be required to provide a contingency plan prior to the start of construction to include key contact personnel for emergency notification. The project specifications will require the Contractor to submit a traffic control plan for the following week outlining which types of control will be used. The traffic control plan shall contain a detailed contingency plan addressing equipment standby, emergency detours, and emergency notification, in the event problems arise in opening the lane(s) by the designated time. During construction activities requiring “hard closures”, the contractor shall provide appropriate personnel to monitor activities and make decisions regarding activation of contingency plans.
The contingency plan shall identify key operational decision points with a schedule listing the expected completion time of each critical path activity. Clearly defined decision points where location of portable changeable message signs are posted, message to be displayed, and timing of activation will also be identified in the plan.
A communication plan shall include a decision tree with clearly defined lines of communication. The names, telephone numbers, and pager numbers of the Contractor’s Project Manager, Caltrans Traffic Management Center (TMC), Resident Engineer, Caltrans Permit and/or Construction Inspector, CHP Area Commander, and other applicable personnel shall be provided.
When a major lane-blocking incident occurs and severe congestion is about to develop, the TMC should receive a report from the CHP, Caltrans or the Contractor field personnel. TMC staff shall take the following incident response actions:
BEGINNING OF THE REPORT:
Notify TMT-District 05- San Luis Obispo
Verify Details with CHP Unit or Contractor
Activate CMS
Notify PIO
PIO to notify local businesses/residents from SLO and MON County and Big Sur Area and media if applicable
DURING INCIDENT
Update TMT
END OF INCIDENT
Notify TMT when incident is over
Deactivate CMS
Notify CHP and local media and businesses/residents when incident is over
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**IMPORTANT NOTE RE PITKINS/RAIN ROCKS PROJECT.**
At the BSMAAC meeting on 8/12/08, Steve Price confirmed in front of a large audience that depending on the problems with potential landslides to the north, the Pitkins project may be delayed. And in any event, any traffic management plans (road & lane closures) will not be instituted until after the potential winter rain problems are behind us. There will also be numerous public discussions before starting the project.
Beginning in March of 2009, construction will begin on the Pitkins Curve bridge, and the Rain Rocks rock shed. These projects promise to be disruptive to those of us on the South Coast, and the traveling public. It pays to keep informed, as there will be night closures of both lanes, and day time closures (non-holidays, non-summer months) of one lane spread over a period of approximately four and 1/2 years. Here you will find links to information about these projects by Cal-Trans.
The simple fact sheet is probably the best place to start (and end, if time is limited) and can be found here:
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/projects/pitkins/factsheet.pdf
There are several documents of note regarding the Pitkins Bridge and Rain Rocks rock shed. One, is the final environmental impact report, found here:
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/projects/pitkins/feir_web.pdf
Another is the public meetings displays, found below. This particular document repeats a lot of what was presented at the public meetings a couple years ago, but if you were unable to attend, now is the time to catch up. It has a wealth of valuable information:
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/projects/pitkins/displays_fastview.pdf
And finally, those who are bored, or VERY interested, here is the link for the Big Sur Highway Management Plan:
http://www.caltrans.ca.gov/dist05/projects/bigsur/index.htm
For contact info:
For questions please feel free to email:
Caltrans District 5 Public Affairs department
50 Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 549-3318 or via email at: info-d5@dot.ca.gov
For further information contact
David Rasmussen ,
Project Manager
50 Higuera Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 549-3016
Kate…the urls for the ‘EIR’ and the ‘Public meetings’ are the same…both come up as the EIR. Perhaps you didn’t change the url for the second thing? And thanks for all this info!