Last night the Apple Valley Town Council awarded a $37.3 million contract to Security Paving, Inc. for the construction of the Yucca Loma Bridge over the Mojave River and Yates Road Improvements project. This construction contract is the first component of the Yucca Loma Road/Yates Road/Green Tree Boulevard Transportation Improvement Project, which will connect Yucca Loma Road in the Town of Apple Valley to Yates Road in the County of San Bernardino. Construction is set to begin in early 2014.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Councilman Scott Nassif. “I am honored to make the motion to approve this contract,” he added, to applause from the rest of the Town Council and audience. Nassif is the longest serving member on the current Town Council.
The contract will build the Yucca Loma Bridge, widen Yates Road from two lanes to four lanes and construct new soundwalls on the south side of Yates Road. Construction is estimated to last two years. Subsequent construction projects to widen Yucca Loma Road from the Yucca Loma Bridge to Apple Valley Road, and to extend Green Tree Blvd from Hesperia Road to Ridgecrest Road, including a bridge over the BNSF Railroad tracks, are currently under final design with construction planned for 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Once completed, and in concert with the recently opened La Mesa/Nisqualli Interchange, a new east-west regional transportation corridor will be realized in the Victor Valley, providing relief to existing and future anticipated traffic congestion on Bear Valley Road and State Route 18 (Happy Trails Highway).
Town Engineer Brad Miller presented the staff report and deflected praise to the team in attendance. Liz Diamond, Director of Engineering for Dokken Engineering is the project design manager, working with the Town since 2007. Rebecca Neves, also with Dokken, is the project’s lead civil engineer. Also on hand was Ernie Figueroa of Parsons, who will serve as the on-site construction manager, and the Town of Apple Valley’s Project Manager, Paula Pereira, who has managed the multitude of permit applications, time-lines and invoices.
Funding for the contract is from a combination of Regional transportation funds through Measure I ($11 million), $17 million in Apple Valley Redevelopment Agency Funds, $10 million from the State Local Transportation Partnership Program funds, and $ 2 million from Proposition 1B.
Mayor Curt Emick commended the Yucca Loma Bridge team for their persistence and hard work, and Councilman Larry Cusack noted that this bridge has been talked about since he was a kid growing up in Apple Valley.
