Wednesday, 17 March 2010 01:59

Amador County Transportation Commission Gets Update on Highway 88 Improvement Project

slide3.pngAmador County – Today’s meeting of the Amador County Transportation Commission includes an update on staff work on the Highway 88 Pine Grove Corridor Improvement project, which had a setback with winter weather recently. ACTC Planner and Program Manager Neil Peacock reported to the commission dated last week that agency subcontractors were taking a new traffic count, as requested by the California Department of Transportation. Peacock said “a low-elevation snow storm” March 9th “resulted in counting hoses at several locations being knocked out of position by snow plows.” He said to make the 7-day count required by Caltrans may necessitate restarting the count. He said that should only delay data’s availability by 1 week.” Peacock also reported that Dokken Engineering reviewed Caltrans cost estimates in the “Project Study Report” for the Pine Grove Corridor Improvement project, and “have determined that entirely new cost estimates need to be provided as further alternative-specific details emerge in order to have accurate, uniform, and comparable cost estimates” with each “alignment alternative” under consideration. ACTC staff is planning an April 7th “community kick-off meeting” and Peacock met with the Pine Grove Town Council earlier this month to discuss the meeting. ACTC’s outreach consultant Leslie Regos “completed and delivered a complete packet of all public involvement and community outreach materials” for review by Caltrans. Peacock said those documents are available for commissioners to review at a secure website. The commission today also will consider accepting a $1 rental fee from the Amador Council of Tourism, which has moved into ACTC’s new Sutter Hill Transit Transfer Station in Sutter Creek. ACTC Executive Director Charles Field in a letter to the board last week said as the transit station was in the planning stage, “it became apparent that someone should staff the facility to ensure both security and adequate service” to mass transit patrons. He said Amador Regional Transit System was anticipated to not be able to pay for staffing the facility. Field said Amador Council of Tourism was looking for a central location for a visitor center, and on discussion was found willing to staff the transit station, while using space as a visitor’s center. ACTC and ACT signed a lease agreement February 1st, and ACT moved in. Field said Council of Tourism members and staff planned to attend today’s meeting to “personally thank the commission for supporting this partnership.” ACTC meets at 6 p.m. today (March 17th) in the county administration building in Jackson. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.