Granite Construction will be going to the beach this summer after winning a $29 million contract to widen California’s iconic Highway 1 in Santa Cruz.
Work includes the construction of four retaining walls, one soldier pile retaining wall and a 650-foot-long box girder pedestrian bridge over Highway 1 at Chanticleer Avenue, according to a Granite news release.
The Watsonville, California-based contractor will widen the freeway in both directions from Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz to 41st Avenue in nearby Capitola, with an additional lane of travel in each direction added to the existing earth median.
The firm will utilize 27,000 tons of subbase and base and 18,600 tons of hot mix asphalt from its Salinas Hot Plant in the area, it said.
The contract with the California DOT is funded by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, with Local Measure D-Highway Corridor funds, Senate Bill 1 grants and other SCCRTC discretionary monies.
The project is kicking off at the height of beach season along one of Northern California’s most popular coastal destinations. Brent Fogg, Granite’s vice president of regional operations, said the firm will strive to ensure drivers know when work will impact local routes.
“We are committed to minimizing the impact on the local community and will work closely with Caltrans to ensure that any necessary lane closures or detours are clearly communicated to the public in advance,” Fogg said in the release.
Work commenced in May, and is expected to be complete in December 2024.
