Approve Contract Amendment No. 5 with Quincy Engineering Inc. (QEI) for the Panoche Road Bridge Replacement Project ((Federal Project No.BRLS-5943(056)) to complete the environmental clearance phase of the project, increase compensation in an amount not to exceed $185,691 and to extend the term from June 30, 2020 to June 30, 2022.

SBC FILE NUMBER: 105

On December 7, 2010, the County entered into a contract with Quincy Engineering to provide engineering services for the Panoche Road Bridge replacement project at a cost of $396,995.60.

On February 7, 2012, the contract was amended to modify the scope of work to include additional engineering services and add $17,350.00 to the contract.

On June 4, 2013, the contract was amended to modify the scope of work to include additional engineering services, add $123,097.65 to the contract, and extend the term of the contract to expire on June 30, 2015.

On June 2, 2015, the term of the contract was extended to expire on June 30, 2017.

On May 23, 2017, the term of the contract was extended to expire on June 30, 2020.

This project has been stalled since late 2015 after receiving review comments from California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) on the County’s Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) indicating potential environmental impact concerns regarding design elements of a proposed rock weir and realignment of the unnamed tributary within the project.  The following were the major concerns:

1.  A rock weir upstream of the proposed bridge to reduce creek velocity was part of the original design to reduce the potential of bank erosion/scour which was a concern of the property owner.  CDFW is not in favor of the proposed weir upstream of the proposed bridge, and Caltrans has stated that the weir is not eligible for HBP funding.

2.  CDFW has concerns with the loss of ecosystem function along the unnamed tributary to Tres Pinos Creek that will result from realigning, grading, and confining a large segment of the tributary to a proposed pipe culvert.

A teleconference meeting with Caltrans, CDFW, County and Quincy Engineering in October/November 2015 to discuss the issues was held.  However, the issues were not addressed/resolved to the point where the project can move forward and the project essentially stalled thereafter.

On November 3, 2017, RMA retained the NV5 Consultant Team to provide staff augmentation services for RMA Public Works Division and to specifically assist staff in restarting the County's nine federal aid bridge projects including providing solutions to move this project forward. 

After several discussions with Quincy Engineering, Caltrans and resource agencies to address the environmental issues brought up by CDFW, and to present the proposed design changes that can be acceptable to the permitting agencies and the property owner, the project can now restart.  The design changes proposed are as follows:

1. Remove the rock weir from the design and provide additional RSP along the creek bank to mitigate for the increased creek velocities and protect the property with the spring box from erosion.

2.  Provide an open channel bypass for the realignment of the unnamed tributary.  This option removes the originally proposed 5’ dia pipe culvert and replaces it with a channel south of Panoche Road between the new roadway and a modified retaining wall. The existing channel would be diverted between the road and the proposed retaining wall into a U-shaped open channel. 

The project has now obtained preliminary comments from the permitting agencies and is now ready to begin the preliminary engineering revision process with updating the IS/MND environmental document to incorporate the design changes. 

The project construction cost is estimated at $3,500,000.

FUNDING AND FUTURE ACTIONS

The Preliminary Engineering (PE) on this project was authorized on September 1, 2010.  The project is nearing the 10-year limit for Preliminary Engineering (PE) phase which federal regulations requires that the project advance to either the right of way or construction phase.  Otherwise, the County will need to repay FHWA the sum of federal funds paid to this project.  Due to the on-going delays, the project will likely go beyond this time limit and so staff has prepared and submitted a PE Time Extension request to maintain federal funds.          

Caltrans has advised the County that an increase in federal funding will not be allowed until environmental clearance (NEPA) document has been cleared on this project.  Therefore, the cost for this portion of the work will need to be funded by the County funds.  Once the project has cleared NEPA, targeted to be completed by May 2021, the County will obtain additional cost information from the project design consultant to complete the remainder of the work, request for additional federal funding, and seek board approval for a consultant amendment for the remaining cost to complete the preliminary engineering.

Staff respectfully recommends Board to approve Contract Amendment No. 5 with Quincy Engineering Inc. (QEI) for the Panoche Road Bridge Replacement Project ((Federal Project No.BRLS-5943(056)) to complete environmental clearance phase of the project, increase compensation in an amount not to exceed $185,691 and to extend the term from June 30, 2020 to June 30, 2022.