Major Steps Forward as Last Chance Grade project narrowed to 2 Final Routes

Traffic backing up onto Last Chance Grade after a slide in June of 2020. [Image from Caltrans Traffic Camera]

A huge important milestone was achieved today as the final alternatives for the Last Chance Grade Project were narrowed down to two final routes. And, as promised by state and federal officials who have been pushing to reduce the timeline on the environmental and engineering studies, this critical step will shave an entire year off the project schedule.

And: This move will save taxpayers $10 million in studies and greatly reduce the risk of delays and cost increases moving forward.

The two alternatives that have been identified are as follows:

1. An inland tunnel that avoids the continuous Last Chance Grade landslide situation that has plagued the corridor for decades.
2. Advancing a landslide mitigation alternative along the current route – permanently shoring up slopes and hillsides.

These two alternatives were selected based on a thorough evaluation of the environmental and engineering data that has been collected this past year. These evaluations were funded by $50 million secured by the State of California.

“The Last Chance Grade is the lifeblood for Del Norte County. Relying on temporary fixes just isn’t acceptable. We all want to start moving dirt on a new route ASAP and narrowing down the alternatives is another big step in the right direction. You can count on all of us to continue a full court press on this critical project in the months and years to come,” Senator Mike McGuire said.

“I’m encouraged to see progress, especially speeding up the project,” said Assemblymember Jim Wood. “I know this has been a long process, but one that can’t be avoided because of the complexities of this huge project. I appreciate the participation of the many stakeholders and the patience of the public as we work toward the best solution.” 

“Today’s important development shows that Caltrans is serious about moving the desperately needed Last Chance Grade effort forward with efficiency,” said Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02). “The decision will allow Caltrans to concentrate its work on necessary, superior alternatives and avoid wasteful analyses on routes that studies have already shown are not viable. This will save money, but more importantly will save time and get this critical infrastructure over the finish line sooner.”

“Narrowing the alternatives from seven to two is a surprise this early in the process, and I expect that many who are unfamiliar with the State’s environmental process and laws will not understand the importance of this achievement. We need to work within the limitations of the law and move forward without delay. The current highway failures and travel delays at Last Chance Grade continue to show the entire State that this is an issue of urgency, and a permanent solution is not happening fast enough for any of us. I am familiar with the constraints and do understand why we’re moving forward with only two alternatives and will do my best to answer questions for anyone who wants to contact me,” Del Norte County Board of Supervisors Chair Chris Howard.

Over the past few years, $50 million has been secured from the State of California to launch the Environmental and Engineering Studies which helped get the project to where it’s at today. Obviously, more work is ahead to ensure a reliable Last Chance Grade for generations to come.

“This decision by our stakeholders gets us another step closer to a safe, reliable and sustainable solution at Last Chance Grade,” said Caltrans District 1 Director Matt Brady. “Narrowing the alternatives will reduce the schedule time by concentrating our efforts to a smaller study area. We are so grateful for the support of the many participants involved in this process.”

More than 80 people representing more than 30 agencies with permitting and regulatory authority, elected officials, Tribal Governments, non-governmental organizations, business owners, and others with interests in the project participated in multiple working groups providing input as the project analysis moved forward.

This milestone is the result of dozens of community residents, from all backgrounds, working together with one goal: to complete this critical project.