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Stimulus money may pay for two culverts

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If San Diego County receives either state Proposition 1B funding or money from the federal economic stimulus program, a contract for culvert repairs will be awarded and it will include two culverts in Ramona.

San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 Jan. 28 to authorize the bid and award of a contract for internal paving repairs of 11 culverts and to substitute federal economic stimulus funding for currently budgeted Prop. 1B funding should the federal money become available.

Total estimated construction cost for the 11 culverts is $360,000, including contingency. On Nov. 19, the supervisors approved the county’s list of local streets and roads projects that will be funded from Prop. 1B revenue, including $360,000 for culvert repair and $680,000 for culvert liner installation. The contract for the culvert repair through internal paving and a contract for the liner installation of twelve culverts, all in East County, will be awarded separately since contractors for each process often specialize.

Prop. 1B, approved by California voters in November 2006, provides $2 billion for the state’s local streets and roads. The state’s current budget deficit may create a substantial delay in the county’s receipt of its share of Prop. 1B funds. The federal economic stimulus program is likely to restrict awards to projects that are ready for construction, and the ability to substitute that funding for Proposition 1B revenue will allow the county to expedite its projects, county staff told the supervisors. If funding for the culvert repairs is provided with the federal money, county staff will return to the supervisors with a new Prop. 1B allocation proposal to reassign the state revenue to other projects.

The county’s Department of Public Works maintains more than 14,000 culverts in San Diego County’s unincorporated areas.

Stormwater crews inspect all culverts on a cyclical basis and prioritize them for rehabilitation or replacement. Culverts nearing the end of their design life are inspected by field engineering staff members to determine the best rehabilitation strategy.

The Ramona culverts to be repaired are along Archie Moore Trail 260 feet north of Archie Moore Road and Barnett Road 250 feet south of 11th Street.

The culvert repairs have a scheduled starting date of May 2009,after the county’s typical rain season. The work is expected to take from two to three months.

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