Tuesday, 30 October 2007 12:48

Hwy 49 Bypass Beautification Plans

slide21The exits from the Highway 49 Bypass to Sutter Creek and to Amador City will get a $528,599 make-over this winter. Amador County Transportation Commission has contracted with Donniker Construction to enhance the historical community identification and beautification of the city gateways. ACTC worked with Caltrans, Amador City, Sutter Creek, merchant associations, the Sutter Terrace Mobile Home Park and the public to design and develop gateway projects at the north and south ends of the Hwy 49 bypass. Designs for the project were prepared by Dokken Engineering with landscape design by Kathleen Lynch.

The Amador City design contains a fieldstone wall with the name “Amador City” in large brass letters, plus a 20-foot long scaled façade of three downtown buildings. Both features will be lighted at night. The Sutter Creek design contains a similar fieldstone wall and brass lettering. Additionally, there will be a separated asphalt pathway, grading to establish a more rolling terrain, fencing along the Sutter Terrace Mobile Home Park, storm drain modifications and extensive landscaping.

In response from City Staff and downtown merchants in the two cities, construction will begin during dry fall and winter periods rather than waiting until spring, with planned completion in the spring of 2008. Winter weather will not pose many problems for the Amador City site where no grading and landscaping work will occur. However, the Sutter Creek site has major grading, storm drain work, retaining wall construction and planting where weather could cause substantial delays. If stormy weather delays work, the site may be treated with erosion control and work suspended until the ground has dried and favorable weather is predicted for an extended period. The contractor will maintain the projects for the 6 months following completion, at which time the cities will take responsibility for maintenance.