Highway 12 improvement projects remain uncertain

It is uncertain whether improvements to a deadly stretch of Highway 12 west of Lodi will be made any time soon despite President-elect Barack Obama being ready, willing and able to dole out billions of dollars for public works projects after his inauguration next week.

That's because Obama is looking to finance projects that are "shovel ready" — ready to start construction within 90 days to six months after receiving the money.

Nevertheless, a project to construct shoulders on Bouldin Island, west of Tower Park Marina, to make Highway 12 safer has been nominated for the stimulus package, according to Lisa Balcom a spokeswoman from Caltrans' Stockton office.

The issue is a high priority for State Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, who represents parts of Stockton and Solano County.

Although she is busy on state budget issues, Wolk plans to bring together leaders from San Joaquin, Sacramento and Solano counties, the San Joaquin Council of Governments, the California Highway Patrol, Caltrans and the Highway 12 Safety Association to forge a solution to the Delta portion of Highway 12, known as "blood alley."

"I'm a doer," Wolk said Monday. "It's time to see what we can do."

The first step, she said, is for one of her staff members to call Council of Governments Executive Director Andrew Chesley today to find out in detail what the council's plans for Highway 12 are. Then Wolk said she will convene leaders from all three counties to develop a solution. Wolk said that although the two major Highway 12 improvement projects aren't ready for construction this year, there should be something short-term the state and three counties can do with federal stimulus money.

Highway 12 projects

Modifying the Tower Park Way-Glasscock Road intersection to eliminate left-hand turns across Highway 12 by routing traffic on a new alignment underneath the Potato Slough Bridge; improve the intersections of Guard, Peatland and Correia roads, extend the westbound merge lane from two lanes to one from Interstate 5 and install changeable message signs to alert drivers to road conditions.

Cost: $27.7 million from Measure K and regional transportation impact fees.

Construction: Begins December 2010; completed July 2012.

Shoulder widening on Bouldin Island between the Potato Slough bridge and the Mokelumne River bridge, west of Tower Park Marina.

Cost: $49.4 million. Nominated for federal economic stimulus package.

Construction: Begins December 2012.

Source: San Joaquin Council of Governments; California Department of Transportation

The Council of Governments, which doles out federal, state and local funds for road and transportation projects in San Joaquin County, has another project planned to improve Highway 12, but it isn't set to begin construction until December 2010, according to Lodi Mayor Larry Hansen, vice chairman of the council.

In the aftermath of Friday's crash west of Interstate 5 that killed a 45-year-old man and a 6-year-old girl, local residents have clamored for a piece of the Obama stimulus package to help stop the bloodshed between Lodi and Rio Vista. Many say they desperately want a concrete median to help prevent drivers from going into oncoming traffic.

"I'm very concerned about the accident," Wolk said. "It's not the only one that's occurred."

Major questions, local transportation officials say, include just what will the rules be and who will make the spending decisions.

The portion of the economic stimulus package devoted to road projects will be sent to the transportation agency of each state, which in turn will decide how the money will be spent, according to Andy Stone, spokesman for Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton.

The California Department of Transportation will be able to spend economic stimulus money any way it sees fit, Stone said, as long as it fits two criteria — the project is ready for construction and it creates jobs.

McNerney's district includes the "blood alley" portion of Highway 12 and has constituents from Lodi and the East Bay who drive on Highway 12 through the Delta.

However, other local officials say it could be the Legislature, not Caltrans, that will make the spending decisions.

And Balcom said that the proposed language for the stimulus package is that 32.5 percent of California's funding will go to Caltrans, with the remainder going to local cities and counties.

"We don't know the rules yet," said Diane Barth, spokeswoman for the Council of Governments. "It depends on the rules that will come out of the federal package."

County Supervisor Ken Vogel, Lodi Mayor Larry Hansen and Mike Selling, transportation planning manager for the county Public Works Department, said they need information on what the rules are.

"We've been asking for a definition of 'shovel ready,'" said Vogel who sits on the Council of Governments with Hansen.

To add to the bureaucratic confusion, one planned Highway 12 improvement project is a Council of Governments project and another is a Caltrans project. Not only that, Highway 12 from Lodi to Suisun City goes through three counties and three regional transportation agencies.

"The most frustrating thing to me is how expensive these projects are," Hansen said. "We're looking at widening I-5 from Country Club (Lane) to Eight Mile Road, and it costs $300 million."

One transportation agency, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, doesn't have Highway 12 on its radar, according to Galt City Councilman Darryl Clare, who will be SACOG's vice chairman this year.

SAGOG, which includes six counties, has other projects on its wish list, Clare said.

Clare is concerned about a rumor that the Legislature will get the Obama stimulus package, not Caltrans, which could create a time delay and possibly a shift in funds.

"I'm not automatically dismissing it," Hansen said about the possibly of getting federal stimulus money for Highway 12. "We need to get more information."

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.

Reader Feedback

lodiborn wrote on Jan 14, 2009 12:22 PM:

" Lest we forget, there was a SR12 wreck on Dec. 8th. Read this link:
http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=51764&provider=top "

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Marty Weybret wrote on Jan 13, 2009 5:43 PM:

" Grrrr. Typos. I should have written: "Anybody with the time ... ought to attend the Highway 12 Association meeting." It's noon Thursday at the Point in Rio Vista. Go to the Marty 'n Rich blog for details. "

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Marty Weybret wrote on Jan 13, 2009 4:38 PM:

" Any with the time and the willingness to get busy on Highway 12 safety ought to think about attending the Highway 12 Assoc. meeting Thursday in Rio Vista. This group has got a lot done between Rio Vista and Fairfield. With out help, we might get some improvements between Rio Vista and Lodi.
Please check out my blog entry yesterday at http://www.lodinews.com/blogs/martynrich/
jra magic, thanks for the kinds words. "

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lodiborn wrote on Jan 13, 2009 3:20 PM:

" SR12 from the Rio Vista Bridge to Lodi is really inferior. I remember the same cracks in the road from the 1950s. Yes, that bad. Plus part of 12 east of Rio Vista was flooded for several months in 1972, so the road is still goofed up from that. "

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jramagic wrote on Jan 13, 2009 1:05 PM:

" It WILL get done...for the godd of the community. Life will be so much better and care-free for ALL of us living here on the Highway 12 Delta corridor when we get this monster fixed. Hey, a quick trip to lovely Lodi to dine or shop? A pleasure! A run to Fairfield to play at Scandia with the kids or to shop? Can Do! What's that, the wife or your young daughter needs to make a run over there tonight? No sweat (well, less!). No more white knuckles and multiple prayers that many of all now practice. And FAR, far fewer tears. When Old Terrible Twelve is de-clawed, why, the Wicked Witch will be dead! " "

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tanner b wrote on Jan 13, 2009 8:19 AM:

" reported: "The issue is a high priority for State Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, who represents parts of Stockton and Solano County."

Really? Then why does Ms. Wolk have to call the COG to see what's going on? Way to be on top of the issues that concern your district, Wolk. You're a "reactor" not a "doer". "

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jramagic wrote on Jan 13, 2009 7:27 AM:

" Kudos to Lodi News management for turning up the heat on this issue. Kudos to Lois Wolk's great efforts (drive 12 from Rio Vista to Suisun City to see results of her past influence...much better than before and FAR better than the Rio Vista-Lodi leg. The delay here with 12 is the bureaucratic snarl- so many counties and agencies involved. But all of the same challenges were overcome on 37 between Vallejo and Marin...and NOT ONE head-on fatality has occurred there since! Just follow the 37 model on 12. It can be "shovel ready" in 2009! "

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