County OKs money to resurface part of Old Julian Highway

By Joe Naiman

County supervisors have added 12.34 miles of county-maintained roads to an existing contract for rubberized emulsion asphaltic slurry sealing. Of that, 6.12 miles of Old Julian Highway will be resurfaced.

The supervisors on Oct. 12 approved an addition to the contract, which will cover Old Julian Highway from Vista Ramona to State Route 78 and will also resurface four Rancho Santa Fe roads.

“I just think it’s our duty,” said Supervisor Bill Horn.

In October 2010 the supervisors authorized the advertisement for bid and subsequent award of a county contract for the rubberized emulsion asphaltic slurry sealing. Road resurfacing contracts normally have a base bid with clusters of additives if bid prices permit. The base bid and additive alternatives totaled 67.70 miles of roadway.

The county had budgeted nearly $5 million for the contract, but that money was from Proposition 1B funds approved by the state’s voters in the November 2006 election. It provides $2 billion for California’s local streets and roads — which made the county’s funding contingent upon the state providing that revenue.

In July 2011 the contract decreased to $3.5 million, which limited the work to 24.32 miles.

“The state had cut back on our money for repaving roads,” Horn said.

“The state cutback put our schedule back almost a full year,” Horn said. “It’s a huge setback.”

The county’s fiscal year ends June 30, and it was determined that the Road Fund had a sufficient 2010-11 balance to allow for an additional $2.1 million of work. County staff said that adding the new segments onto the existing contract was preferable to a new bid process, and the county supervisors concurred.

The utility companies have been notified of the contract addition so that they can begin any necessary trenching work before the resurfacing begins. The work is scheduled to begin this month and be complete by August 2012.