Very happy to see that we finally have a plan in place to make these repairs.

they need to enlargen it not just repair it

8 weeks?

They put new sections of bridges in place over a weekend.

Do the work 24 hours a day, seven days a week and close the road completely for less than four weeks.

Four bad apples and the rest of us get to suffer. Why don't we worry about the pot holes all throughout Atherton and Menlo Park streets first?

@Traffic Fan

Atherton is repairing potholes within the town limits as well. The spring road work will be starting up soon.

The Atherton Channel project is primarily intended to repair the channel. Limiting more drivers from falling into the channel is a secondary benefit.

Without repairs, the roadway could fail with heavy enough water flow. If the roadway fails, March Road will be down to one or zero lanes. Performing emergency repairs immediately (and while water is continuing to flow) is much more expensive than preventative work.

We either suffer on a schedule we control or we let Mother Nature dictate it on her terms, which is guaranteed to cost more time and money.

Why not repair then cover it and widen the road ? Add a lane. We need it.

Where is the East West traffic going to go to get to the freeway?

Willow is already gridlocked, Also Woodside Road.

Anyone know how many cars use Marsh on weekdays?

"Why not repair then cover it and widen the road ? Add a lane. We need it."

Atherton has a FAQ that answers this question.
Web Link

Whatever is decided, just don't use the same contractors who repaved Middlefield Road. That is the worst job ever!

Apple - thank you for the link explaining widening the road. It sounds like grid lock, just like 5 pm on Marsh Rd. There's no shortage of money, just get it done. Like anything else excuses results in nothing.

@Driver

I suppose if the construction company conducted operations in the middle of the night, it would avoid gridlock. The only problem is the neighbors would be up in arms over the noise and bright lights. I don't think that plan would be politically feasible no matter the cost.

Actually, closing Marsh Road for eight weeks this summer will give everyone a nasty little taste of what we might expect once the Greenheart, Stanford ECR, Arrillaga Towers, and Stanford Medical Center projects are all realized: nightmarish traffic with no reasonable mitigation, all in the name of vibrancy and progress (for some definition of both). But I digress. This project or something like it seems necessary so let's hope it runs no longer than eight weeks.

Gern

It appears the livelihood of the Redwood City businesses along Marsh Road are of no concern to the Public Works Director, in spite of the fact the those businesses serve Atherton, Menlo Park, and unincorporated San Mateo County, as well as Redwood City. That is not his issue, of course. But it needs to be considered for all who live and work here.

Kindly adopt a solution that will allow access to those businesses from those of us who live here--not just commute on Marsh Road to somewhere else.

Working at night is the only practical solution, Can we get a number of how many cars go down that section every day and where those cars are going to go. Can we get the Almanac to write an article online, with the numbers and impact.

Gern, It's too late but you are absolutely right. Gridlock everywhere especially with Greenheart

I have to correct myself. While construction would occur during daytime hours, it appears the 8 week closure is a full 24 hour closure for the entire period.

Even if construction occurred at night, the road would still be closed during the day. My guess is that the heavy equipment is kept onsite and can't be stored outside of the roadway due to lack of space.

12 weeks?! What do you mean 18 weeks?! Okay, as long as you say it'll take less than 24 weeks.

Why not cover it such that the roadway could be enlarged to run on top of it? Is there some reason that unfettered access needs to be maintained? Clearly much of the rest of this drainage is already covered in places. Widening the roadway could provide safe pedestrian and bicycle use which is sorely needed.

> Why not cover it such that the roadway could be enlarged to run on top of it?

There's a FAQ on the Atherton website that addresses questions like this (and someone posted a link to it in another thread, but an almanacnews search didn't turn it up).

In a nutshell, Atherton cannot do that for several major reasons:

1) changing the scope of the project, particularly if it were to be made bigger or covered, would require an environmental impact report, delaying the work further;

2) One of the Bay Area environmental boards (I forget the name) is opposed to covering creeks. I think they're also opposed to sealed drainage and would prefer all creeks be natural, to make it easier for water to replenish aquifers.

If someone knows the link to Atherton's FAQ on this matter, the link would be helpful. It explains it better than I can.

Basically, Atherton's hands are tied.

Web Link

And what other mistakes did the consultant make that will bite the city in the pocketbook.

I wish the people asking to widen Marsh road would lobby their city council to help pay for the cost. I suspect the beneficiaries of road widening would likely benefit more non-Athertonians. Easy to ask for other people to spend millions when you're not paying the taxes.

Let's have Donald build it. It will be yuge and get done in half the time,

I'm extremely concerned about cars zipping through the neighborhood all summer and worried about kids playing outside with excessive traffic. People already shortcut through our streets at high speeds.

How will traffic control work? Will detours be alternated so not to impact the same neighbors for the entire period? I am assuming that Holbrook lane will not be a reduced traffic (no though traffic) road during the commute hours like it is now. The impact needs to be shared and the side streets need traffic control. Kids are out of school and playing outside. Fair Oaks,14th & 18th could become extremely congested and dangerous, not to mention the all of the streets off Middlefield between 9th and Marsh.

Please share your traffic plan.

Web Link
"The design consultants have prepared a traffic detour plan that would detour traffic into other jurisdictions adjacent to the Town, to 5th Avenue on the north and Ridgewood Avenue to the south. The plan was previously implemented by the Town during emergency repairs to the Channel wall,and prior to that, by PG&E during their repair work."

I suspect the traffic detour plans are not yet finalized and won't be until the contract is awarded and details worked out.

>>> Let's have Donald build it. It will be yuge and get done in half the time

Absolutely - it'll be YUGGGGE!!!

After I build it, I, The Donald, will then declare bankruptcy and pay my vendors about half of what their costs were, ruining the lives of small business persons who made the STOOOPID mistake of trusting The Donald. Fools! They NEVER learn! Just like half of America's voters! Hah! I'm GREAT!

Here's an interview yesterday about all the businesses and bond holders I completely shafted in Atlantic City - Web Link


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Seriously - as a neighbor I detest the idea of what this will be like during construction in the neighborhood, but get it started and completed ASAP. Do it!

And fix the rest of the potholes around town, too!

"The design consultants have prepared a traffic detour plan that would detour traffic into other jurisdictions adjacent to the Town, to 5th Avenue on the north and Ridgewood Avenue to the south. The plan was previously implemented by the Town during emergency repairs to the Channel wall,and prior to that, by PG&E during their repair work."

Is that supposed to be Ringwood? I really hope the road closure can coincide with summer vacation -- we could do without extra cars mingling with all the kids walking and biking to and from the schools on Ringwood.

c'mon folks, this is YUGE!

Look at a map. I, Donald Trump need the more eminent domain to get the contract and then sue my vendors.

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Seriously tho - look at a map. Of course it's Ringwood. Mostly Fair Oaks, and some on Willow, some up in RWC. Those are the only roads. Your kids don't belong on those streets in normal times - most def not this summer, tho.

NIMBYism doesn't work here - there are no other roads to throw the traffic to.... Spend your cycles moaning about surf-air. Not that you will hear it over the construction noise.

I don't think anyone is saying NIMBY? Just get the work done quickly over the summer!

"Your kids don't belong on those streets in normal times"

This is kidding, right? Do you know how many kids walk or bike to M-A and Laurel and home each day down Ringwood, where there aren't sidewalks? Are you suggesting they all should drive or be driven?