Thursday, November 21, 2024

Mendocino County gets part of California’s $3.8 billion infrastructure investment

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Highway 101 near the Ridgewood Summit [Photo by Matt LaFever]

Mendocino County will see a series of road repairs and upgrades as part of a $3.8 billion statewide infrastructure investment announced by the California Transportation Commission. The funding, supported by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and California’s Senate Bill 1, aims to enhance safety, reduce travel times, and improve transportation systems across the state.

The Mendocino projects include repairs to the Long Valley Creek Bridge near Laytonville, upgrades to the Ukiah and Boonville maintenance stations, and mitigation work along Route 1 near Gualala. These initiatives are part of broader efforts to address critical infrastructure needs, with investments also supporting electric vehicle charging stations and erosion control on key highways.

Officials say these improvements will create safer, climate-resilient transportation options, with more than 75% of the federal funding allocated to local governments and regional agencies for bridge replacements, rail safety upgrades, and highway maintenance.

Read the press release regarding the road improvements below:


The California Transportation Commission (CTC) on Friday allocated approximately $3.8 billion for projects that will continue to refurbish the state’s transportation infrastructure, enhance safety and create more options for the traveling public. The projects will improve coastal rail lines, freight corridors, bridges, highway interchanges and system enhancements aimed to increase accessibility for multi-modal users.

Nearly $3.5 billion of the investment is funded through the landmark federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA). More than 75 percent of that allocation will be sent to approximately 600 local governments and regional transportation authorities to replace bridges, reduce travel times for commuters, address planet-warming pollution, improve highway and rail safety and efficiency and provide new transportation services. Another approximately $330 million in funding comes from Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. 

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“These projects will create safer and more equitable and climate-resilient transportation options for all Californians,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares. “Investments made possible since IIJA was enacted are establishing a legacy that will benefit all people who use and rely on our vast transportation system for employment and educational opportunities, access to goods and services, and connection to recreational attractions. 

Among the projects approved include improvements for locations along the coastal LOSSAN (Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo) rail corridor, four hydrogen fueling stations near the I-215/SR-60 interchange, a freeway-to-freeway connector linking southbound SR-99 to westbound SR-58 in Bakersfield, a Class 4 bikeway in Redding and a bicycle/pedestrian overcrossing in Berkeley.

Other projects include:

  • Approximately $17.3 million including more than $15.5 million in federal IIJA funding in support allocations toward roadway and guardrail improvements and bridge replacement on Route 36 near Carlotta from west of Fisher Road to west of Wilder Road in Humboldt County.
  • Approximately $2.8 million including more than $2.5 million in federal IIJA funding and $325,000 in SB1 funding toward bridge improvements on U.S. 101 at Arcata Overhead No. 04-0079 and at South Fork Eel River Bridge and Separation No. 04-0065 in Humboldt County.
  • Approximately $870,000 toward roadway realignment on U.S. 101 south of Garberville near the Richardson Grove Undercrossing in Humboldt County.
  • Approximately $40.5 million including more than $22.2 million in federal IIJA support allocations toward the construction of Segment 2B of the Lake 29 Expressway, to widen a 3-mile section of Route 29 from 2 to 4 lanes and other improvements near Kelseyville in Lake County.
  • Approximately $1.4 million including $51,000 in SB1 funding in support allocations toward pavement repair, sign, guardrail, culvert and other roadway improvements on Route 29 from Spruce Grove Road to Diener Drive near Clear Lake in Lake County.
  • Approximately $2 million in support of allocations toward the construction and repair of buildings and the installation of electric vehicle chargers at the Ukiah Maintenance Station along U.S. 101 as well as the Boonville Maintenance Station along Route 128 in Mendocino County.
  • Approximately $1.2 million in federal IIJA funding for support of allocations toward mitigation work, revegetation and monitoring for a Safety Project from north of Havens Beck Drive to north of Iverson Road on Route 1 near Gualala in Mendocino County.
  • Approximately $7.7 million in SB1 funding for emergency allocations toward the deck replacement of the Long Valley Creek Bridge No. 10-0180 on U.S. 101 near Laytonville in Mendocino County.
  • Approximately $1.5 million in SB1 funding for emergency allocations toward roadway and culvert repairs along with erosion control on U.S. 101 south of the Frog Woman Rock Sidehill Viaduct near Hopland in Mendocino County.
  • Approximately $1 million in SB1 funding for emergency allocations toward the cleanup and removal of burned materials and hazardous trees along Route 299 near Blue Lake in Humboldt County following a fire in July 2024.

IIJA is also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure to improve the sustainability and resiliency of our country’s energy, water, broadband and transportation systems. California has received more than $46 billion in federal infrastructure funding since IIJA’s passage in November 2021. That includes investments to upgrade the state’s roads, bridges, rail, public transit, airports, electric vehicle charging network, ports and waterways. The funding alone has already created more than 87,000 jobs. 

In addition, SB 1 provides $5 billion in transportation funding annually split between the state and local agencies. Road projects progress through construction phases more quickly based on the availability of SB 1 funds, including projects that are partially funded by SB 1. 

Find projects that are building California’s climate-friendly future at Build.ca.gov and RebuildingCA.ca.gov

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11 COMMENTS

  1. This is a good news story. It may not get much attention but this is the sort event that improves common peoples’ lives since we all depend on infrastructure to move around a vast county and state.

  2. Thank you Democrats in Congress that passed this bill. Thank you President Biden for signing this legislation. trump maga republicans voted unanimously against this legislation. Vote Blue and continue to rebuild America.

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    • 100% correct Peter. And that’s after Trump pronounced it infrastructure week approximately 17 times without ever getting a damn thing done. And if he had he’d have stiffed the people doing the work!

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  3. I hope there’s some sort of money going towards Hwy 20 in Lake County. That stretch around the lake is brutal with so many places along that they could add more passing lanes. There’s a bunch of traffic that goes through there every day yet it’s not been updated in years.

  4. Well that’s interesting…

    But where did the funds come from for the absolutely huge and probably extremely expensive re-paving, cast-concrete median barrier, and modern metal-post guardrails for the entirety of Ridgewood Grade come from?

    Not to mention the additional major drainage work from the base of the grade on down to where the casino sits by the river. Hmmmmm.

  5. Nearly $3.5 billion of the investment is funded through the landmark federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA). More than 75 percent of that allocation will be sent to approximately 600 local governments

    How much is 3,5 billion divided by 600?
    Are these equal shares?
    Where did the other 25% disappear to?
    The State is broke to the tune of almost 50 billion, do they have to match funds?
    Money spent on tree trimming maintenance?
    Gas prices up 50 cent tax for “roads”is to go up another 47 cents for carbon tax.

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  6. How much of that money will actually funnel down to the actual roads? And what does it even matter anymore? We are going the way of Venezuela by the day.

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Matt LaFever
Matt LaFeverhttps://mendofever.com/
For the past seven years, Matt LaFever has covered the North Coast of California in both print and radio news. A Humboldt State graduate, he has lived in the Emerald Triangle for nearly 20 years. His reporting spans local issues like crime and wildfires. When not writing, Matt is an avid outdoorsman, exploring Northern California’s rugged landscapes. Reach out to him at matthewplafever@gmail.com.

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