DATE:
May 6, 2026
01
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
ESTABLISH APPROPRIATIONS AND ADVERTISE AND AWARD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR GUARDRAIL REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR AND RELATED CEQA EXEMPTION IN THE COMMUNITIES OF PAULA-PAUMA, FALLBROOK, VALLEY CENTER, PALOMAR, RAINBOW, ALPINE, AND DESCANSO (DISTRICTS: 2 & 5)
Body
OVERVIEW
The County of San Diego (County) Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for the maintenance and operation of nearly 2,000 centerline miles of County-maintained roads, including more than 56 miles of guardrails. Centerline miles represent the total length of the roads regardless of the number of lanes or overall roadway width. Guardrails are installed along the edge of the roadway to enhance safety by preventing motorists from unintentionally leaving the roadway and may also reduce the severity of a crash. DPW has developed a list of eight guardrail replacement and repair sites on County-maintained roads in the communities of Pala-Pauma, Fallbrook, Valley Center, Palomar, Rainbow, Alpine, and Descanso. Guardrails that have been identified for this project were prioritized based on traffic volume, speed limit, nearby hazards or utilities, guardrail condition, slope severity, and traffic patterns associated with nearby underserved communities. DPW has developed similar projects for guardrail upgrade, repair, replacement, and installation in past years and will continue to evaluate needs and identify locations on an annual basis as funding is available.
In September 2023, DPW applied for a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant to design and construct guardrail upgrades at eight sites. HSIP is a federal-aid grant program, administered by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for the purpose of achieving a significant reduction in fatalities and serious injuries on public roads. The preliminary engineering funding was authorized by Caltrans in November 2023 and the engineering phase of the proj...
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