Caltrans on Wednesday announced the approval of $54.8 million in road repair funds for 46 projects throughout the state, including $31.1 million funded by the Senate Bill 1, which passed in 2017 and increased the gas tax and vehicle fees.
Included in the funding package is $1.08 million allocated for a $15.3 million pavement preservation project that aims to improve 21.2 lane miles of State Route 1 from the San Mateo/Santa Cruz County line to south of Bean Hollow Road in Pescadero, according to Caltrans. The project’s start of construction was listed in a Caltrans document last fall as April 2020, with the expectation it would take about a year to complete.
Across the state, the $54.8 million will enable Caltrans to repair or replace 16 bridges, 168 lane miles and 150 drainage systems. The funding will also contribute to traffic reduction measures from highway message signs to cameras and loop detectors to improve traffic flow, along with improvements to sidewalks, bicycle lanes and routes to schools.
By 2027, Caltrans aims to have fixed over 17,000 lane miles of pavement, 500 bridges and 55,000 culverts using SB1 revenue.
An attempt to repeal the SB-1 gas tax was rejected by California voters in November.
