Amador County – The Amador County Transportation Commission last week endorsed a hybrid 3-lane improvement project for Highway 88 through Pine Grove, and will look to make it effective in increasing traffic flow, and meeting Caltrans needs, without the impact of a major project.

Commissioners approved sending out a request for proposals for the project, after Planner and Program Manager Neil Peacock recommended that “for the remainder of the project, we go with requests for proposals,” not contracts and consultants. He said “all of our consultants are currently on stop work,” and are “basically being let go, so we can bring a prime back on.”

He recommended appointing a Commissioner to the project, so he could spend thousands of dollars at a time confidently, as they meet with Caltrans, “so that our new consultant hits the ground running.” Peacock said by March they “will have a wall-sized example of this hybrid new project.” He said per the grant funding of $1.7 million used on the project study, “we are under the gun to deliver a project by June 2014.”

The next phase, he said, will do all state and federal environmental studies needed for the project, and it will include intimate contact with the PTA, the school, businesses and residents in Pine Grove.

Peacock said “there was once again resounding opposition to the five-lane, through-town” alternate at the recent elementary school workshop. Some wondered if traffic forecasts were off, and if there will really be that much growth and lot splints upcountry.

Commissioner John Plasse said Supervisors will soon be asked to adjust county nexus fees, which were based on Department of Finance population increase estimates that did not occur. He asked if the Caltrans “purpose and needs” formula that evaluated the Pine Grove corridor alternates also used those faulty numbers.

Peacock said Caltrans requires using those numbers, in evaluating traffic flow estimates to the year 2044. But he said the project estimate can say: What if the Department of Finance projections did not happen?

He said the alternate can do things not required in a classic expansion, like through lanes, turn lanes and other fixes, if it shows the hybrid meets all purposes and needs.

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