Page:California Highways and Public Works Journal Vols 8-9.djvu/39

 3. A contract has but recently been awarded to the Butte Construction Company of San Francisco for the construction of the Corte Madera Creek bridge, including a small bascule span approximately 40 feet of clear width of opening.

These three structure contracts are planned to be completed by July 1, 1930, together with the surfacing contract from San Rafael to Alto, when they all can be opened to carry the heavy Redwood Highway traffic. At the southerly end at Alto, we have recently reported the completion of the overhead crossing of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad at Alto, together with approximately 0.6 mile of approaches, which completes that portion of Route 52 at the westerly termini at Alto. This new connection will also serve as a temporary connection with the new reconstructed highway which eventually is to extend from Sausalito to San Rafael, funds for which have been provided in the present budget; and it is hoped that the construction will be under way during the early summer of 1930.

Immediately north of San Rafael, the Commission has under way a contract 1.8 miles in length from Gallinas Creek to San Rafael, Granfield Farrar & Carlin of San Francisco being the contractors. This project covers the construction of heavy graded roadway which will be surfaced with bituminous macadam and Portland cement concrete on the excavated sections. This work is progressing rapidly and the contractor is endeavoring to get as much grading work done as possible prior to the heavy rains, in order to take advantage of the settlement of the fills.

The heavy cuts on the contract just north of San Rafael have been opened and much material moved. This work does not interfere with through travel as most of it is on an extensive line change and the old road is open to traffic with no obstructions. It is expected that a contract will soon be let to construct an overhead crossing over the tracks of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad at Forbes and that the completion of roadway will coincide with the completion of the overhead crossing and allow the section to be opened about the middle of the year.

In order to complete the reconstruction of the highway between Petaluma and San Rafael, the 11.9-mile section between one mile south of Petaluma and Ignacio is under reconstruction by Hanrahan Co., contractors. Grading is approximately three-fourths complete with construction of concrete boxes, corrugated metal pipe culverts and cattle passes practically completed. With the settlement of the new fills during the winter rains, a bituminous macadam surface will be placed on all new alignment and second story concrete pavement will be placed on the old road wherever practicable. The concrete bridge and stream approaches on the new line at Novato Creek have recently been completed by W. L. Proctor, contractor. The improvement of this section, together with the previously noted section just north of San Rafael, will furnish a 20-foot roadway from San Rafael to Petaluma and should be ready to carry the mid-summer heavy traffic. At San Antonio Creek on a line change and to take the place of the structure on the old road, a contract has been awarded to McDonald & Maggiora of Sausalito for the construction of a reinforced concrete bridge on a new line which will materially shorten the distance over the existing roadway.

An outstanding saving in the highway activities in Marin-Sonoma counties is the shortening of the distance by the reconstruction work. The present distance from Santa Rosa to Sausalito is approximately 52 miles and, upon the completion of reconstruction, will be reduced nearly 5 miles when the last section from Alto to Sausalito will have been completed during 1930-1931.

The construction of three timber bridges with approaches and several line changes on the McDonald-to-the-Sea road is practically complete. The contractor, W. C. Colley of Berkeley, has a little finishing work yet to do; the graded sections are surfaced and this section will be much appreciated by the traveling public when the rains are finished and free use of the road is possible.

Day labor forces under Superintendent Nelson are widening three narrow bridges on the main Valley Highway north of Merced. This work will remove the last “bottleneck” on this road.

The Pacheco Pass Road west of Los Banos is being widened by maintenance forces under Foreman Berry. Material is being hauled from the narrow cuts and the roadway graded to a 30-foot width.

Fredrickson & Watson Construction Co. and Fredrickson Bros. have brought their contract on the road from Napa Wye to Solano County line so close to completion that a week of good weather will finish it. Traffic is enjoying this section together with the adjacent section to the north as recently completed by the same contractor, and as this road is one of the principal connections between the bay cities and Sacramento and the central and northern sections of the state, these improvements are a benefit to both tourist and business traffic.

The contract for a line change 0.7 of a mile in length between Serra and San Juan Capistrano was awarded to Matich Bros. on August 12th. This work consists of constructing a 40-foot graded roadbed with Portland cement concrete pavement, 20 feet by 7 inches. Work is nearly completed.

A contract for paving one-half width between Santa Ana and Anaheim was awarded on June 11th to Griffith Company. This section is 4.9 miles long. The paving work is being done in cooperation with Orange County, the state paying for a strip of pavement 28 feet by 7 inches and the county paying for a like amount. The state’s portion of this highway is completed, and work is in progress on the county’s portion.

A contract for widening the roadbed between Sunset Beach and Newport the entire width of the 90- to 100-foot right of way, and the placing of an additional 10-foot strip of Portland cement concrete has been awarded to the Macco Construction Co. When this work is completed the pavement will be 30 feet 