County of Stanislaus Claims Top Honors in 2023 Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Awards

Contact:
Kayla Sherwood, League of California Cities, (530) 844-1744, ksherwood@calcities.org 
Rachael Serrao, California State Association of Counties, (916) 926-8769, rserrao@counties.org

Also recognized are Fresno and Tehama Counties and of the cities of Monterey and Berkeley

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SACRAMENTO, CA – The League of California Cities (Cal Cities), County Engineers Association of California (CEAC), and California State Association of Counties® (CSAC) are excited to announce the winners of the 2023 Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Awards, which recognize creative and cost-efficient programs in counties and cities throughout California that preserve and protect the public’s investments in improving local streets, roads, and bridges.

Sponsored by Cal Cities, CEAC, and CSAC, the Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Awards Program will be awarded to five innovative programs during the Cal Cities Public Works Officers Institute/ CEAC Spring Conference on March 9 in Los Angeles County.

“The award-winning projects serve as a reminder that transportation funding is vital for the sustainability of California’s local streets and roads system and the safety of California residents,” said County Engineers Association of California President and Contra Costa County Public Works Director Brian Balbas. "From reducing emissions and waste through sustainable paving techniques to creative projects that make our downtowns safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike, cities and counties are investing in projects that meet the needs of residents, promote economic growth, and protect the environment.”

This year’s overall winner, the county of Stanislaus, is recognized for its innovative bridge restoration to preserve the vital connection between the city of Waterford and the community of Hickman, improving access for first responders and local residents.

“Every day, cities and counties are delivering on important transportation in their communities,” said Cal Cities Department of Public Works President Benjamin Fine, Pismo Beach Director of Public Works and City Engineer. “These award-winning projects demonstrate local leaders’ commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the vital role local jurisdictions play in achieving our state environmental goals.”

Brief descriptions of the winning projects are included below. Full descriptions of winners and finalists are available on the Save California Streets website.

Overall Winner

Hickman Road over Tuolumne River Bridge Replacement, Stanislaus County

Hickman Road Bridge Replacement improved the reliability of the connection between the city of Waterford and the community of Hickman by addressing the ongoing degradation of the river channel and undermining of the pier foundations. The improvements include a safer crossing for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists, a structure that meets current seismic criteria, and an enhanced look and feel to River Park and the River Park Trail.

The project took great care to mitigate the effects on the local environment. The design set the replacement bridge on an alignment upstream of the former bridge to reduce impacts to native plants and used longer spans than the old bridge to reduce the number of piers and pier foundations within the Tuolumne River channel. The design also incorporated bat houses for the estimated 6,000 bats that had created homes on the old bridge. In addition, as part of the removal of the old bridge, the existing bridge scour counter measures were removed, resulting in the removal of nearly 500 tons of concrete, and the Tuolumne River channel was restored to natural grades using existing river rock and gravels.

Roads: Efficient and Sustainable Road Maintenance, Construction, and Reconstruction Projects

Lincoln Avenue Cold Central Plan Recycling, County of Fresno

The county of Fresno used the Cold Central Plant Recycling (CCPR) technique to repair a 14.5 segment of Lincoln Avenue in southwestern Fresno County in poor condition due to heavy agricultural traffic. The county was able to re-use 100% of all the existing asphalt pavement assets by recycling.

By utilizing an engineered sustainable pavement rehabilitation approach like CCPR, the county reduced truck traffic and use by 30:1, also leading to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by up to 65%. County staff were able to work with Caltrans to reclassify the road to a major collector and then to combine Surface Transportation Block Grant, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality, and Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation funds to fully fund the project. The project was delivered on-time and under budget.

Bridge: Efficient and Sustainable Bridge Maintenance, Construction and Reconstruction Projects

Jellys Ferry Road at Sacramento River Bridge Replacement Project, County of Tehama

The Jellys Ferry at Sacramento River Bridge Replacement Project replaced the structurally and seismically deficient existing 940-ft steel thru Pratt truss bridge with two new sustainable concrete bridges, realigning 3,700 feet of Jelly’s Ferry Road, which provides local recreational access across the Sacramento River to portions of the Sacramento River Bend Outstanding Area operated by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Completion of this project reopened year-round access of rural residents to schools, medical services, and commodity resources, while also increasing access for the area’s agricultural commerce. Additionally, the new Sacramento River Bridge featured complex architecture design elements to support the local wildlife and rural nature of the site, including stainless-steel fish inlays on bridge soffit.

Safety or Intelligent Transportation System Projects

Adaptive Traffic Control System, City of Monterey

The city of Monterey is a booming tourist destination, receiving approximately 4.6 million visitors a year. As a result, the city sees unpredictable traffic demands, leading to citizen complaints, frustrated commuters and visitors, and degraded safety.

The city leveraged Adaptive Traffic Control Systems, the latest technology for improving traffic flow by better synchronizing and controlling traffic signals, to progress traffic through a corridor with few or no stops, resulting in less fuel consumed and fewer emissions, and improves travel time, quality of life, and safety.

As of January 2023, the city has completed implementation at 41 signalized intersections, with significant reductions to average travel time (-16%), delays (-30%), stops (-40%), and an increase of average speed (27%). Because the system eliminates idling due to fewer stops and the resulting acceleration, vehicles burn less fuel and expel fewer pollutants and particulate matter. When completed, the system will result in a yearly reduction of 20 tons of criteria pollutants (NOx, ROG, and PM).

Complete Streets Projects

Berkeley Marina Streets Improvement Project, City of Berkeley

The Berkeley Marina, a 220-acre recreation area comprised of a landfilled peninsula and a boat harbor that projects 1 mile into the waters of the Bay, is the sole street network to local hotel, restaurants, and vast recreational amenities. Despite heavy use, the Berkeley Marina had received no major repairs since the original construction over 50 years ago. These streets have been referred by the community as “worst roads in town” (PCI 28).

The Project performed a major renovation of 3 of the 5 street segments at the Marina, using innovative elements such as pavement recycling (FDR), porous pavement systems, bioswales and bioretention basins with native pollinator plantings, and multi-modal access upgrades (e.g., Bay Trail crosswalks, public bus stops, pedestrian and bicycle connections).

To learn more about the Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Awards and explore previous award winning projects, please visit the Save California Streets website.