Story and Photo By Jondi Gumz
On April 21, Aptos residents were surprised to see county public works crew paving a potholed section of westbound State Park Drive, a key route to Seacliff State Beach.
For those wondering about the eastbound section, not this year, maybe next year, according to Steven J. Garcia, with county public works since 2017 and overseeing the job.
All of the county roads getting attention as part of the annual road maintenance program made it onto the list after inspection by cunty staff.
Garcia told Aptos Times that he told his boss this piece of State Park Drive could be done in one day.
So the traffic light was disabled, and some of the crew were manually directing cars, trucks and pedestrians while others applied blacktop paving.
The road work schedule coincides with the county’s 27-week construction window, when crews can take advantage of dry weather to complete roadwork, according to county staff.
Of those 27 weeks, about nine are to be dedicated to paving in each region—MidCounty, South County, and North County.
While paving crews focus on those areas, other teams will carry out maintenance such as roadside mowing, roadside ditch clearing, and striping.
“We’re taking advantage of the good weather to deliver critical annual maintenance to roads our community relies on,” said Commnity Development and Infrastructure Director Matt Machado. “This is the ideal time to pave, maintain, and prep before the winter season.”
This season’s MidCounty maintenance work includes:
- State Park Drive – At the overpass, work is scheduled for April 21.
- East Cliff Drive – From Moran Lake Park to Pleasure Point Drive, April 22–25.
- Porter Gulch Road – Between Soquel Drive and Hudson Lane near Cabrillo College, April 28 to May 5.
- Branciforte Drive – Between Branciforte Ridge and Treehouse Way, May 6–12.
- Happy Valley Road – Between Branciforte Drive and the Conservancy Loop area, May 13–16.
- Jarvis Road – From Vine Hill Road to Hall Ranch Drive, May 19–23.
- Laurel Road – A short section between Highway 17 and Laurel Road Loop near Redtail Ridge, May 26 to June 3.
- Schulties Road – Short section near Redwood Lodge Road, June 4–5.
- Morrell Road – The majority of the roadway section between Soquel San Jose Road and Summit Road, June 6–11.
- Stetson Road – The majority of the roadway between Soquel San Jose Road and Skyland Road, June 12–20.
Crews will work weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will have traffic control measures in place for safety and to minimize disruptions.
“Our crews are out there every day—mowing, patching, clearing ditches, and responding to emergencies—so we see firsthand which roads need help the most,” said Roads Superintendent Alex Sandoval. “We’re looking at safety, access, and how each road serves the larger network.”
This phase of work is funded by the Highway Users Tax Account, also known as the “Gas Tax.” This maintenance cycle is part of the County’s regular annual road maintenance program.
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