MEETING DATE: 11/20/2018
DEPARTMENT: RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AGENCY
DEPT HEAD/DIRECTOR: John Guertin
AGENDA ITEM PREPARER: Scott Lines
SBC DEPT FILE NUMBER: 105
SUBJECT:
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AGENCY - J. GUERTIN
Receive an update on the County's Federally-funded Bridge Projects and authorize the RMA Director to request $687,068 from the Council of Government's Regional Surface Transportation Program (RSTP) funds for Local project costs.
SBC FILE NUMBER: 105
AGENDA SECTION:
REGULAR AGENDA
BACKGROUND/SUMMARY:
The County of San Benito currently has eight (8) active bridge replacement or rehabilitation projects that are authorized for federal funding under the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Federal Aid Highway Bridge Program (HBP). The total estimated costs for completion of the projects is $75.1 million. Of these costs, approximately $6.8 million is local matching requirement and $68.3 million is reimbursable through the HBP program. The eight active projects include bridges or low-water crossings on 1) Shore Rd. & San Felipe Rd.; 2) Hospital Rd.; 3) Rosa Morada; 4) Limekiln; 5) Anzar Rd.; 6) Rocks Rd.; 7) Panoche Rd.; and, 8) Union Rd. A full summary status is included in Attachment A.
The FHWA approved funding for Preliminary Engineering (PE) for the replacement of Union Road Bridge on 7/24/2007, Rosa Morada Road Bridge on 9/1/2010, and Rocks Road Bridge on 9/1/2010. To date the County has expended and the FHWA has reimbursed to the County $5,492,144.00 in Preliminary Engineering (PE) expenses for these three bridge replacement projects.
From March 2013 until January 2018, prior Public Works administrations failed to keep the work on these projects moving forward and to keep the contracts with the engineering consultants active. Since January 2018, the current RMA administration has made every effort to work with Caltrans District 5 and the previously contracted engineering firms to revive the County's bridge program and assess where these projects were in the process of being designed, and make recommendations on how to complete them before FHWA funding expires.
Staff has estimated that it will cost $1,402,374 to complete the Preliminary Engineering portion of the three projects mentioned above. Of this amount, $715,306 is eligible to be reimbursed by FHWA. However, a significant amount of rework, such as updating environmental reviews, will be necessary because of the delays in processing the PE work. As a result, approximately $687,068 of the total amount is not eligible for reimbursement through the HBP and must be covered with County funds. Staff recommends using a portion of County share of RSTP funds for this purpose.
Another option could be to cancel the projects. However, this would result in the lost opportunity to make much needed bridge improvements. Additionally, the County will be required to repay all FHWA reimbursement monies received to date totaling $5,492,144.
Staff will return to the Board in the future with updates and recommendations regarding funding and completion of all eight (8) of the active HBP bridge projects.
BUDGETED:
No