Amador County – Amador County Transportation Commission next week will consider 13 alternatives for the Highway 88 Pine Grove Improvement Project.

Project planner Neil Peacock said Monday he would recommend 10 for elimination for various reasons, including, having too high a cost (up to $100 million) or too big an impact on Pine Grove. The remaining three alternatives would be recommended for further study.

An evaluation matrix, based on public input and stakeholder concerns, was used to develop screening criteria, which guides all evaluation of alternatives. Of the 10, Peacock said they cannot afford five, while four do well and four did not do well with evaluation and had unacceptable impacts. All proposals would need final approval by Caltrans.

The three Peacock would recommend for further study include a “Northern Bypass” option passing partly through the Caltrans maintenance yard, through ACES transfer station, and part of Crestview. It would cross Volcano Road and come out near Mount Zion Road.

A “One-Way Couplet” proposal would tie in with existing or new roads on south side, starting just south of Pine Grove, and running roughly along the foot of the slope.

A “Through-Town” expansion would widen the road to 4 traffic lanes and a center turn lane, and require an 80-foot right-of-way, measured 40 feet from the center line to either side of the road.

Peacock said the Through-Town alternative “would not necessarily require full-takes, of a large number of businesses,” a “full-take” being removal of entire buildings. “However, it may result in individual full-take parcels.”

The main impact in the Through-Town route “is going to be on parking and access, due to the right of way width itself, and any safety requirements that Caltrans has us integrate into the designs,” Peacock said. That could mean creating some “no-left turn” areas, so vehicles do not turn across two lanes of traffic.

After identifying the top alternatives, they can “delve into the nitty gritty.” Part of the meeting next week will be, taking input on how they want to involve the public in the second phase process.

A 14th alternative in November from the Pine Grove Community Council proposes two one-way couplets as separate roads bypassing Pine Grove on northern and southern routes, leaving Highway 88 as a local Main Street.

Peacock said the route hasn’t been evaluated, but would get the same scrutiny as other alternatives. Its cost was estimated at $62 million, while the project has a cost limit of $40 million.

The meeting is 6 p.m. Jan. 19 at the county admin building.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.