By Khalida Sarwari
Saratoga city officials are one step closer to replacing a pair of 100-year-old bridges on Quito Road near the intersection of Old Adobe Road after they made decisions related to right-of way and temporary construction easements last week.
The Saratoga City Council gave its stamp of approval April 6 on a $40,000 contract with the Contra Costa County Public Works Department for right-of-way services with the option of bumping that figure up by an additional $5,000.
Because the bridges cross the Los Gatos-Saratoga boundary and San Tomas Aquino Creek, Saratoga is working with the town of Los Gatos and the Santa Clara Valley Water District to facilitate the replacement of the existing bridges on Quito Road with wider structures that are seismically sound and up to state standards. As the lead agency, Saratoga is overseeing the design, environmental work, right-of-way acquisition and construction.
“This is a project that some of us have been following for a long time,” said Councilman Howard Miller. “It is a project that I think has caused some concerns in the neighborhood, and I think as a city we do what we do best. I think we do these projects with a great touch and a great concern for the neighbors and the community at large. This is a great, great partnership with our neighbors, and I’m happy to see that the project is continuing to slog along.”
The project is in the right-of way phase, which entails the acquisition of easements totaling 4,532 square feet. The city has been allocated $400,000 of funding for this phase, most of which will come from the Federal Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation program. In addition, there is a required local match in the amount of nearly $46,000, which would have to be shared by Saratoga, Los Gatos and the district. The project carries a $5 million price tag.
The federal grant requires that the city retain a Caltrans-approved agency to conduct the right-of-way work. That’s where the Contra Costa County Public Works Department comes in. Saratoga is tapping the department’s real estate division for the task because it not only has “vast experience in right-of-way private property takes,” according to a city report, but it is also familiar with Caltrans policies.
Offers to those private property owners impacted will be made by July and construction is set to begin in spring of 2017.
Link: Old Quito Road bridges’ replacement is one step closer
