REPAIR WORK on Arroyo Seco Road in South Monterey County is set to begin this month, with county officials hoping to see the work completed by the end of the year.
Monterey County’s Public Works, Facilities and Parks Department have completed a design and emergency repair plan for the roadway and bids for the emergency repair were due Friday.
Arroyo Seco Road suffered severe damage during storms in March. Heavy rains and flooding undermined and washed out a section of the roadway, creating a steep 40-foot vertical drop on one side and compromised a travel lane for vehicles.
The road has been closed to the general public since that time. Only local residents who live along that portion of road are allowed access in and out of the area.
Repairs to the road will take place in two locations and are estimated to cost $6 million.
Work at the first project site at milepost 2.5 include replacing culverts damaged by flooding with new four 4-ft diameter pipes.
At the second project site at mile post 4.2, a large section of the roadway is settling and the pavement is cracked. To reconstruct the area and support the pavement, 22 steel-reinforced concrete piles that are each 30 inches in diameter will be drilled into the area below the pavement, creating a “stitch-pile row”. These concrete piles will go to a depth of 30 feet below existing grade to support the roadway.
County officials said completion of the repair work will allow for the reopening of Arroyo Seco Campground, which was closed by the US Forest Service.
The repair project has been designed to meet FEMA guidelines for disaster reimbursement, the county said in a news release. Advance funding from the California Office of Emergency Services is being used to assist with this project, the county added.