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Date: |
October 07, 2026 |
02 |
Title
Amendment to Add Enrico Fermi Drive and Siempre Viva Road Overcrossings to the Existing State Route 11 Alta Road Bridge Freeway Maintenance Agreement and CEQA Finding (District: 1)
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Overview
The County currently has maintenance responsibility for portions of Alta Road within the State’s right-of-way to ensure ongoing access and safety for the public, which is outlined in a Freeway Maintenance Agreement (FMA) that it holds with the State. A right-of-way is defined as an area designated for use as a public street, including the travel portion of the street, the shoulders, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, utilities, drainage facilities, traffic signs, and any other improvements. This is a request to approve an amendment to the Alta Road Freeway Maintenance Agreement (FMA) to add two new locations.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) completed the construction of the Enrico Fermi Drive and Siempre Viva Road Overcrossing projects in East Otay Mesa in 2021 and 2025. On May 25, 2022 (2), FMA 11-8467 was approved by the County Board of Supervisors (Board), which defined maintenance responsibilities between Caltrans and the County for facilities associated with the Alta Road Bridge Project. On May 8, 2013 (4), a Freeway Agreement was approved by the Board to be executed between Caltrans and the County, which stipulated that certain modifications and adjustments to County roadways were necessary for the completion of State Route 11 (SR-11). The agreement defined the responsibilities of each agency for the maintenance and operations for the areas lying within the SR-11 future bridge limits.
This is a request to amend the existing Alta Road FMA to include Enrico Fermi Drive and Siempre Viva Road locations. Through the addition of these two locations, it will streamline maintenance responsibilities between Caltrans and the County related to facilities located within the State’s right-of-way.
Body
Recommendation by Chief Administrative Officer:
1) Find that the proposed activity is exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines because the project involves the approval of agreements to define maintenance responsibilities between the County and Caltrans for existing facilities.
2) Approve and authorize the Director, Department of Public Works, or designee, to execute, upon receipt, four copies of freeway maintenance agreement(s) or an amendment to an existing freeway maintenance agreement for the maintenance of Altra Road, Enrico Fermi Drive and Siempre Viva Road bridge facilities within State Route 11 with Caltrans.
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Equity Impact Statement
Both Enrico Fermi Drive and Siempre Viva Road are important routes to connect to new and future developments in the East Otay Mesa area, which remains an underserved community. Through the County’s partnership with Caltrans, three bridges were constructed by Caltrans to provide a connection for the future County-maintained Enrico Fermi Drive, Alta Road and Siempre Viva Road across State Route 11. With the completion of these bridges, the County’s responsibility in the agreement is to take over maintenance of the respective roadway features above the bridge deck and within the State right of way. These actions will provide connectivity to the community members in the adjacent developments.
Sustainability Impact Statement
Today’s action will support the County’s sustainability goals by ensuring the proper maintenance of County roads and allowing for an agreement that will fairly apportion maintenance responsibility between Caltrans and the County where State and County maintained roads intersect. Maintaining County roads support sustainability in terms of the economy, environment, social health, and well-being. Timely maintenance helps to prevent the need for more costly repairs in the future, thereby supporting economic sustainability. In addition, well-maintained roads reduce wear and tear on vehicles, lowering maintenance and operating costs for drivers, providing social sustainability benefits.
Fiscal Impact
Funds for this request are included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 Operational Plan in the Department of Public Works, Road Fund. If approved, this request will result in current year costs and revenue of $15,000 for staff time, materials, and supplies. This includes an estimated annual cost of $5,000 per bridge associated with the approval of the State Route 11 Enrico Fermi Drive, Alta Road, and Siempre Viva Road Freeway Maintenance Agreement for ongoing maintenance starting in FY 2026-27. The funding source is State Highway User Tax Account (HUTA). There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years.
Business Impact Statement
N/A
Advisory Board Statement
County staff has engaged with community groups, including the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce and the East Otay Mesa Property Owners Association, on this agreement. No comments, questions or concerns have been raised by the community regarding these improvements.
Background
The County of San Diego (County) currently has maintenance responsibility for portions of Alta Road within the State’s right-of-way to ensure ongoing access and safety for the public, which is outlined in a Freeway Maintenance Agreement (FMA) that it holds with the State. A right-of-way is defined as an area designated for use as a public street, including the travel portion of the street, the shoulders, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, utilities, drainage facilities, traffic signs, and any other improvements.
This is a request to approve an amendment to an existing FMA to define maintenance responsibilities between the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the County related to specific facilities located within the State’s right-of-way. Caltrans completed the construction of the Enrico Fermi Drive (August 2021) and Siempre Viva Road (August 2025) Overcrossing projects in East Otay Mesa. In February 2022, Caltrans completed the construction of the State Route (SR) 11 Alta Road Bridge project. On May 8, 2013 (4), a Freeway Agreement was approved by the Board of Supervisors to be executed between Caltrans and the County, which stipulated that certain modifications and adjustments to County roadways were necessary for the completion of the project, as described below. The agreement defined the responsibilities of each agency for the closure, relocation, adjustment, and requirements for future maintenance of roads in the unincorporated area, which were affected by the project.
The construction of Enrico Fermi Drive, Alta Road, and Siempre Viva Road overcrossings over SR 11 is completed, and a comprehensive FMA defining the County’s and Caltrans’ maintenance responsibilities is necessary. Generally, the County will have maintenance responsibility for the County roadway that is within the State's right-of-way. These facilities are new roads being accepted into the County-maintained system that are located over or under the freeway, as shown in Exhibit A. Caltrans will continue to maintain its freeway facilities in the right-of-way, including freeway surfaces, on- and off-ramps, and bridge structure.
The SR 11 Enrico Fermi Drive and Siempre Viva Road Bridge projects are part of a bigger project from the easterly connection of SR 905 to the easterly end of SR 11 (connection to future Otay Mesa port of entry), affecting several County roadways and including new freeway interchanges in the unincorporated area. The roads to be included in this FMA are Alta Road, Enrico Fermi Drive, and Siempre Viva Road. These roadway segments, located within the State right-of-way, will be maintained by the Department of Public Works. Alta Road is a two-way 4-lane bridge structure that has been constructed at SR 11 and will be maintained by Caltrans. Enrico Fermi is a diverging diamond 6-lane bridge structure that has been constructed at SR 11 with freeway interchange access and will be maintained by Caltrans. Siempre Viva Road is a two-way 4-lane bridge structure that has been constructed at SR 11 with interchange access and will be maintained by Caltrans.
Alta Road Bridge was built as a 4-lane bridge with a painted median, bike lanes, and pedestrian walkways. Due to right-of-way constraints on the southwest corner of the bridge and along the corresponding west side of Alta Road, the bridge and corresponding south leg of Alta Road will, for an interim condition, be configured in a 2-lane configuration with a concrete k-rail limiting access to the unused portion of the bridge while still allowing for pedestrian and bicyclist access.
Caltrans is coordinating with property owners southeast of the Siempre Viva Road overpass on the development of a parcel that will include direct access to, and improvements along, Siempre Viva Road. The frontage associated with this property is currently excluded from the County’s maintenance limits as proposed by this FMA. Once construction is complete and all improvements within the County right-of-way have been accepted by the County, the FMA will be administratively updated to incorporate this frontage into the County’s maintenance limits.
Caltrans is requesting that an FMA be executed for the Enrico Fermi Drive and Siempre Viva Road overcrossings. Projects located within East Otay Mesa and in the vicinity of the new overpasses are primarily industrial, warehouse and storage, and include infrastructure and services such as energy generation and distribution, fire, and sheriff facilities.
This is a request to approve an amendment to add Enrico Fermi Drive and Siempre Viva Road overcrossings to the existing SR 11 Alta Road Bridge FMA to define maintenance responsibilities for State and County facilities located within the State's right-of-way.
Environmental Statement
Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines exempts form CEQA review projects that consist “of the operation, repair, maintenance…or minor alteration of existing public or private structures….” The key consideration is whether the project involves negligible or no expansion of use. The exemption includes enumerated examples, including without limitation, projects involving “[e]xisting highways and streets….” The proposed action is the approval of FMAs to provide for the maintenance of existing overpasses by the County and Caltrans. Since the project provides for the maintenance of existing structures with no expansion of use, it is properly found to be exempt from CEQA review by Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines.
Linkage to the County of San Diego Strategic Plan
Today’s proposed action supports the Community initiative in the County of San Diego’s (County) 2026-2031 Strategic Plan by maximizing resources through community partnerships to benefit the region. The County’s coordination with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and local developers helps fulfill this initiative by clearly defining the County’s and Caltrans’ maintenance responsibilities associated with the County roadway that is within the State's right-of-way.
Respectfully submitted,
Dahvia Lynch
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
Attachment(s)
Attachment A - Freeway Maintenance Agreement with County of San Diego