Slide Show: LaFonda Bridge Project Finished

County officials held a second celebration Wednesday for the completion of the Highway 1 project at the LaFonda Overpass. 

An earlier celebration, on a Saturday, drew more than 500 people. This one drew a couple of dozen.

Have you noticed traffic improvement? 

From Bay City News:

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held today to commemorate completion of the Highway 1 Soquel/Morrissey Auxiliary Lanes Project, hosted by construction managers and the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC) on Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 10:00 am on the La Fonda Bridge overcrossing in Santa Cruz.

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The Highway 1 Soquel/Morrissey Auxiliary Lanes project includes one mile of new auxiliary lanes, which connect an on-ramp with the next off-ramp - in each direction between Soquel Drive/Avenue and Morrissey Boulevard.  Also included in the project are the following: a new bridge over La Fonda Avenue with improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities, new pedestrian facilities near DeLaveaga Elementary School and a repaved and widened bicycle/ pedestrian connection between Park Way and La Fonda Avenue. The path and sidewalks included an innovative partial cement replacement product that reduces green house gases from industrial carbon dioxide emissions, which would have otherwise been released into the atmosphere. This technology allows for these emissions to be permanently retained within the concrete.

Scheduled speakers at the event include Congressman Sam Farr, Caltrans District 5 Director Tim Gubbins and Regional Transportation Commissioners.

"I commend the Regional Transportation Commission for this accomplishment, which will ease traffic congestion and improve safety for the thousands of motorists who drive along this busy corridor," said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty.

This project improves the flow of traffic by extending the merging area in one of the most congested sections of Highway 1 in Santa Cruz County. This section of Highway 1 experiences average daily traffic of about 100,000 vehicles per day.

Project partners include Caltrans, owner/operator of the state highway system, the City of Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz City School District, Harbor High School, DeLaveaga Elementary School, Ecology Action, Carpool To School, construction consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff and the prime construction contractor RGW.

Funding sources for the construction phase of the project includes $13.8 million in voter-approved Proposition 1B - State Transportation Bond funds (Corridor Mobility Improvement Account  or CMIA) secured by the Regional Transportation Commission via a competitive process and $2.5 million in State Transportation Improvement Program funds.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) is responsible for delivering a full range of convenient, reliable, and efficient transportation choices for the community. While promoting long-term sustainability, the RTC provides transportation services, planning, and funding for all travel modes. Information about the Regional Transportation Commission's projects and programs can be found at www.sccrtc.org<http://www.sccrtc.org> or by calling 831-460-3200.