California Transportation Commission Awards $5 Million in Funding for Last Chance Grade

From Congressman Jared Huffman:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) today announced that the California Transportation Commission (CTC) has awarded $5 million in funding for Last Chance Grade, the slide-prone stretch of U.S. Highway 101 between Klamath and Crescent City.

“Resolving the issues at Last Chance Grade is vital both for my constituents’ safety and to keep California’s far North Coast connected to the greater region,” said Rep. Huffman.“I thank the California Transportation Commission for recognizing the importance of finding a long-term and durable solution for Last Chance Grade and for providing the much-needed support to move this process forward.”

“Due in part to the support of the community, lawmakers, and stakeholder groups, Caltrans is now a step closer in the development of a long-term solution at Last Chance Grade,” said Caltrans District 1 Director, Matt Brady. “While this amount is not enough to complete all of the studies required, it is positive movement towards developing a project that meets everyone’s needs.”

Earlier this month, Rep. Huffman was joined by Assemblyman Jim Wood and Senator Mike McGuire in sending a letter to the CTC supporting Caltrans’ request for funding.

This letter was accompanied by dozens of additional support letters from local governments, tribes, environmental groups, landowners, businesses and transportation interests who rely on the integrity of this stretch of the highway.

The funding will allow Caltrans to begin conducting the necessary environmental and geotechnical investigations of potential alignments of the highway around Last Chance Grade. This is a critical step to protecting the safety and economy of Del Norte County and the people and commerce that travel U.S. Highway 101.

Read more on Congressman Huffman’s work on Last Chance Grade here.

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Me
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Me
6 years ago

Yeah….still another ten years to build a bypass. Should have been started long ago.

Veterans friend
Guest
Veterans friend
6 years ago

It will cost a billion. What are they thinking?
Is this just to study it? Something that SHOULD have been done 50 years ago….

Emily
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Emily
6 years ago

It says above, ‘while this amount isn’t enough to complete all the studies…” so it’s just a start, to the studying … wow. I guess that’s how things go

Richard Graey
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Richard Graey
6 years ago

Veterans friend, you are right on the money (no pun intended)! These folks have no idea. Goodness gracious!

Veterans friend
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Veterans friend
6 years ago
Reply to  Richard Graey

Yep. This stretch of road has been in failure for 50 years that I am aware of. Should have been studied to death by now.

MOGTX
Guest
6 years ago

I tied steel rebar on a huge post tension retaining wall about 20 years ago ,and I think it’s the only one that has not moved or wavered yet ,and they should use the same design for the whole thing ,but 6 million dollars we can build Steve Austin.

some guy
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some guy
6 years ago

$5 Million?

Ernie Branscomb
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Ernie Branscomb
6 years ago

Kudos to Huffman, Wood and McGuire. Thank you, we will take what we can get, and I don’t want to sound unappreciative, but that should keep the engineers in lunch money anyway.

I don’t know that much about it, but I’m thinking a tunnel, a bypass or anchor rods way back into the mountain to hold the face of the slide in place would cost much more money than that. I know a person here in Benbow that stabilized a loose rock bank under a small cottage with anchor rods and it cost him @ $400,000.00.

maybe they can kick the can a little further down the road with 5 million but eventually they are going to run out of road the kick the can down.

G-MAS
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G-MAS
6 years ago

They’ve been studying this since I was a kid. More studying? OMG they have to know by now. What a bunch of CRAP💩💩💩

Randal MacKendrick
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Randal MacKendrick
6 years ago

The can keeps rolling back to the boot that kicked it, $5 million is a feel good gesture for those who don’t drive the road.

onrust8
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onrust8
6 years ago

When I was working road construction in the late 60’s and early 70’s the bidding maxim was 1 million a mile for flat, easy ground to work. Trees, sand, water, rock etc. doubled the price then.

That was almost 60 years ago. We could start a pool on the price. I think $500 million is about right. Tunnels, bridges, viaducts are the likely solution and they should be a fair bit inland. The 5 million is just to tell the politicians that we need real money to fix this problem.

Woulda, shoulda and coulda are all just pissin’ in the wind about the past. As a friend told me long ago, if you are so fucking smart, why didn’t you fix it 50 years ago? Either I wasn’t so smart or I just didn’t care enough.

The right time to do this is right now when at least they are taking us seriously.