Issue date: April 01, 1998
By MARION SOFTKY
Upper Alpine Road -- closed for a mile by 33 slides and washouts in the big storm of Feb. 2 -- should be passable by the end of summer, thanks to a large and prompt infusion of federal dollars.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has signed an agreement committing $6.4 million to restore the road that provides primary access for more than 100 homes in southern Portola Valley and the hills beyond, the Portola Valley Town Council learned March 26.
"They have signed a contract. This is a commitment," said Town Administrator Alex McIntyre.
The town will get 100 percent of the first million, which must be spent on emergency repairs by July 31, 180 days from the date of the disaster.
The remaining $5.4 million will be reimbursed at a rate of 88.5 percent by FHWA. Town officials hope to get the remaining $624,000 from state emergency funds, Mr. McIntyre said.
"That's not only great news, that's fast work," said Mayor Gary Nielsen.
The federal offer is based on a survey by town engineers and geologists that restoring the road would cost $6.9 million.
This year's emergency work will include clearing the slides and debris that cover the road. Crews will permanently repair two of the four washouts that destroyed part or all of the road bed, and temporarily fix the other two so that vehicles can get through. "The road should be passable by the end of summer," Mr. McIntyre said.
Over the next year, the town will plan for permanent restoration of the road, including engineering, geology, right-of-way, and environmental aspects, so that permanent repairs can be completed next summer," Mr. McIntyre s "That's not only great news, that's fast work," said Mayor Gary Nielsen.
The federal offer is based on a survey by town engineers and geologists that restoring the road would cost $6.9 million.
This year's emergency work will include clearing the slides and debris that cover the road. Crews will permanently repair two of the four washouts that destroyed part or all of the road bed, and temporarily fix the other two so that vehicles can get through. "The road should be passable by the end of summer," Mr. McIntyre said.
Over the next year, the town will plan for permanent restoration of the road, including engineering, geology, right-of-way, and environmental aspects, so that permanent repairs can be completed next summer," Mr. McIntyre said.
Meanwhile, the town will have to find the money to pay the bills as they come in, because the federal government does not pay directly; it reimburses the town. "The question is not whether but when," Mr. McIntyre said.
The Town Council will hold a special meeting to go over details of the repairs Thursday, April 16, at 8 p.m. in the Historic Schoolhouse, 765 Portola Road. Geologists and engineers will be available to explain the plans, and Mr. McIntyre will present financing alternatives.
The FHWA has also authorized $162,000 to repair a smaller slide on Portola Road near the north end of town. Repairs should start within a couple of months. The town expects to be reimbursed 100 percent.
Meanwhile life is getting back to normal for some of the people devastated by the storm. The road from Alpine Road up the hill to Lauriston has been cleared of multiple slides, and the four families living up there, who had to hike or evacuate or bump over a dirt road to Skyline, have settled back comfortably since early March, according to Alison Goudy.
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