Page:California Highways and Public Works Journal Vols 8-9.djvu/41

 , has completed his work with the exception of the section through the deep cut at Sierra Point where extensive slides prevent finishing roadway. Also, the Spring Valley Water Company's pipe line as situated on the hillside above the cut, is to be relocated to lie in the roadway, digging of trench being under way.

In the meantime a small amount of the contractor’s equipment is being kept to care for the cut during the rainy season.

A contract is being advertised to continue the Bayshore Highway construction by building the section from San Mateo to Redwood City, for which bids will be received on January 8th.

The section of the Skyline Boulevard between the La Honda Road and Saratoga Gap has been completed.

Twohy Bros. Co. and J. F. Shea Co., contractors on grading and surfacing, have completed their work and Tieslau Bros. having furnished screenings, the state forces have constructed an armor coat oil surface. This opens the boulevard from San Francisco to the gateway into the California Redwood Park and allows of another through route to Santa Cruz. Due to the fact that California Redwood Park Road is an unsurfaced, graded roadway, it will be closed to traffic during the winter of 1929 and 1930.

The program for the improvement of the Peninsula Highway between Palo Alto and Santa Clara is proceeding satisfactorily. The section between Sunnyvale and Santa Clara has been completed by Contractor N. M. Ball and he is just completing a channel change of Calabazas Creek under day labor contract. This change is of major importance as the stream paralleled the roadway on the easterly side for over 3000 feet and was so close to the pavement as to forbid widening on that side, and even threatened the existing work, causing heavy maintenance with a permanent type of retaining structure necessary in the near future. After many attempts to come to an agreement with property owners, permission was obtained to continue Calabazas Creek across the property to the east, and following the eastern boundary of the property, empty into the channel of Campbell Creek about one-fourth mile east of the present connection. The original channel is being filled with material from neighboring dykes and from a private borrow pit.

The section from Palo Alto to San Antonio avenue is being advertised for bids to be opened January 8, 1930, and the connecting section, San Antonio avenue to Sunnyvale, is to be advertised early in the spring, so that the end of 1930 should see the entire 13 miles from Palo Alto to Santa Clara completed with Portland cement concrete widening and asphalt surface, a total width of 30 feet as compared to 20 feet existing.

The pavement of that portion through Palo Alto from San Francisquito Bridge to the south city limits of Mayfield (Palo Alto) is to be 40 feet wide.

Grier and Taylor who have a contract for furnishing and hauling surfacing material from the end of the pavement to La Moine, are setting up their plant at Pollock and will be ready to operate about January 10. Their plan is to supply all of the material from this one plant as it is centrally located and will speed up the job by eliminating additional setups although a much longer haul is involved.

The contract for surfacing and screenings from Weaverville to Tower House on the Trinity Lateral was completed by A. Milne, contractor, on December 10, just in time to escape the delay incidental to the heavy rain immediately following.

Contractors in this district, as well as over the entire state, have been especially fortunate this fall with weather conditions. Normally, road work is hampered by stormy weather early in October. In higher altitudes it is necessary to close down most jobs on account of snow. However, with the exception of the stormy period between December 8 and 17, the weather has been warm and dry and ideal for highway construction.

The contract of T. M. Morgan Paving Company, contractors, between Shasta River and Gazelle, is nearing completion. The 7-mile stretch of pavement which was under construction on this job was completed last month and was opened to traffic on December 10. The opening of the pavement was very opportune as the detour which was in use between Edgewood and Gazelle was through adobe country on which only a light coat of surfacing had been placed to carry the traffic through summer months. During the week following the opening of the pavement, this detour undoubtedly became impassable although no traffic was routed over it. Unless bad weather conditions prevail, the Morgan Company will complete their contract during the month of January.

The contract for reconstructing a short piece of pavement 0.6 of a mile in length at Spring Hill near Mt. Shasta City has been completed and was opened to traffic on December 8. This reconstruction eliminates a very dangerous 200-foot radius curve at the foot of Spring Hill where numerous accidents have occurred during the past few years. The grading for this improvement was completed by Young Brothers, contractors, earlier in the year, following which the paving contract was let to the Mathews Construction Company, who have now completed their portion of the work.

Beerman and White have been awarded a contract for the producing of surfacing material and screenings between Gazelle and Yreka. They have one plant operating at Gazelle and will start another plant on the Yreka end about January 10. The hauling of the material is being handled by O. McReynolds on a separate contract.

A serious traffic hazard on a heavily traveled highway has been eliminated by the completion of the grading and asphalt macadam surfacing of the stretch of road from the Napa County line easterly through The Jameson Canyon. This is the highway connecting 