Aptos Road and Pedestrian Work Update

In a previous column I discussed funding for road projects in our district for the coming year. I wanted to give an update on the status of some of these projects.

Vienna Drive: Sidewalk and Roadway Repair

Nearly five years ago a storm-caused slipout of the embankment near Vienna Drive and Mesa Drive lead to the failure of a walkway used to connect the Vienna Woods neighborhood with Soquel Drive. Pedestrians have been forced to walk in the street to avoid the portion of the collapsed embankment.

Funding was finalized in this budget cycle and bids were submitted to complete the project. Bids have now been received and work has begun. The project is extensive, requiring excavation and backfill, new drainage facilities, hillside protections and the reconstruction of the walkway.

McGregor Drive Repairs

Initial road preparations have begun on McGregor Drive (between Searidge and just past New Brighton Road) to set the stage for a full resurfacing. Before the resurfacing could be completed road crews had to repair sections of the road with digouts – these are the large rectangular asphalt patches that replace some of the worst ruts in the road.

With that complete the next stages include a microsurfacing layer that seals existing cracks and levels the road, a rubber chip seal (to help prevent future cracking), a slurry seal (helps also keep the bike lanes smooth) and thermoplastic striping, which is more visible and longer lasting.

Anticipated completion is about a month for all of these stages for a much improved McGregor Drive.

New Crosswalks in Seascape and Rio Del Mar

As of this writing, construction is underway in Seascape (at Dolphin Drive and Pinehurst) and in Rio Del Mar (at Spreckels and Moosehead) for new ADA accessible crosswalks.

Both connect in with existing sidewalk networks in their neighborhoods and in the case of the Seascape crosswalk offer additional safety for students walking to Rio Del Mar Elementary School.

Rio Del Mar Roundabout

Bids were received for the new roundabout planned for the Esplanade area in the Rio Del Mar flats.

The Rio Del Mar Improvement Association is also working with County staff on relocating the Whaley Sculpture, located on a traffic island at Rio Del Mar Blvd and Clubhouse, to the new roundabout once the roundabout is constructed. The sculpture, which has been obscured by the surrounding trees in the traffic island, is of a seagull in flight. It was built to honor former Rio Del Mar resident Tom Whaley. The bid process was one of the last stages in the long-awaited roundabout for that area and construction is expected to begin during the off-season to minimize traffic impacts in the area.

More projects are planned for this coming year, including new radar signs near Mar Vista Elementary and on Sumner Drive, a new crosswalk on Trout Gulch and more but this gives you an update on work currently under construction or close to commencing.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to call me at 454-2200.