County drainage project should stop flooding at high school, San Vicente Terrace

Sean Shoemake of Ramona operates an excavator, digging a trench for a new culvert at Ramona High School’s agriculture parking lot on San Vicente Road as part of the county’s San Vicente Road Drainage Improvement Project.

Southland Paving Inc. of Escondido is doing the work, which is aimed at alleviating flooding to the school and to residents across the street on San Vicente Terrace, said Carl Lester, Southland’s superintendent at the site.

A culvert 7 feet by 2 feet is being installed to run west to carry stormwater to a tributary of the Santa Maria Creek, said Lester, adding that they start work after school begins to avoid causing traffic congestion. The project should be finished next week.

The nearly $450,000 county project is funded by Proposition 1 B and Flood Control. Working in the trench are Travis Ramsey and Jeremy Curtis, both of Escondido.