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Home My WebLink About4/11/2012 - STAFF REPORTS - 2.J. ?ALM S.. iy V N O c° P 9`'F°""� City Council Staff Report Date: '"�^", 'a,-�, 44-2, k �m 11 `� CONSENT CALENDAR Subject: APPROVAL OF PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS AND ESTIMATE (PS&E) AND AUTHORIZATION TO BID FOR THE INDIAN CANYON DRIVE INTERIM WIDENING PROJECT (UPRR BRIDGE TO GARNET AVENUE), CITY PROJECT 01-11 A From: David H. Ready, City Manager Initiated by: Public Works and Engineering Department SUMMARY The Public Works and Engineering Department has been working for several years on a project to widen Indian Canyon Drive between the railroad bridge and Garnet Ave. Staff recommends the Council approve moving forward with an interim widening plan to ease traffic congestion in the near term. Upon Council authorization, staff will prepare construction documents (Plans, Specifications and Estimate) and, in accordance with Section 7.03.040 of the Procurement and Contracting Code the Council is required to authorize the bid request for all public projects in excess of $100,000. Approval will allow staff to proceed with this public project, with an estimated cost of approximately $350,000. RECOMMENDATION: Approve the plans, specifications and estimate, and authorize staff to move forward with the Indian Canyon Drive Interim Widening Project (UPRR Bridge to Garnet Avenue), City Project 01-11 A, and authorize staff to advertise and solicit bids. STAFF ANALYSIS: In 2001, Public Works and Engineering Department obtained federal funding to widen the Indian Canyon Drive Union Pacific Railroad ("UPRR") bridge, and the adjacent roadway to Garnet Avenue. This project is federally funded, and as such requires coordination with the California Department of Transportation ("Caltrans"). Caltrans, as the lead federal agency, has responsibility to review the project for conformance with federal environmental laws and to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations and design standards. Although the project commenced in 2002, a lengthy environmental review process was required, with Caltrans issuing final environmental ITEM NO. City Council Staff Report March 21, 2012- Page 2 Interim Indian Canyon Dr. Widening (CP 01-11) approvals in 2009. Federal rules prevented the City from proceeding with final engineering design until after the environmental clearance is obtained. The City initiated final design in late 2009. The original scope of this project assumed widening of the existing UPRR bridge. This assumption was based on all prior projects in the Coachella Valley involving widening of existing railroad bridges, including the Gene Autry Trail UPRR bridge which is currently under construction. However, recent UPRR policy implemented statewide dictates that if existing railroad bridges do not allow for future expansion of railroad operations, including construction of new tracks, widening the existing bridge will not be allowed by UPRR. Essentially, this new UPRR policy communicated to the City in January 2010 requires the City to demolish the existing UPRR bridge and construct an entirely new bridge to provide clearance for future UPRR tracks. Despite our best efforts to prevail with UPRR on this policy, without UPRR's approval of our bridge widening plans this project cannot proceed to construction. Therefore, a complete change of scope to this project has been dictated by the UPRR requiring demolition of the existing bridge and replacement with a new bridge structure. The existing bridge is a 4-span bridge, the UPRR is allowing the City to construct a new bridge with one pier in the UPRR right-of-way. The new 2-span bridge design impacts the entire project, increasing the project footprint and requiring re-validation of the environmental approval. The changed scope dramatically increased the total cost of this project from just over $3 Million to $21,500,000. However, City staff pursued additional federal funding from Caltrans to offset the increased cost of the project. Staff was ultimately successful in securing an additional $14.5 Million in federal funds for the project. Meanwhile, the City has now successfully completed the Indian / 1-10 Interchange project, and the widening of Indian Canyon Dr. to 4-lanes between Tramview Road and the UPRR bridge. The existing UPRR bridge and adjacent roadway segment is now a 2-lane "bottleneck", and will exist this way for several more years as City staff work diligently to complete the final design and right-of-way phases to allow for construction of the project. It is staffs recommendation that the City Council authorize an interim widening plan for Indian Canyon Drive, north of the UPRR bridge. The plan would allow for construction of a second and third northbound lane transitioning to Garnet Avenue. It is not staffs recommendation, however, that additional southbound lanes, south of Garnet Avenue, be constructed as the short transition back to 1-lane at the UPRR bridge diminishes any benefit to having a second southbound lane that merely transitions back to 1-lane at the bridge. 02 City Council Staff Report March 21, 2012- Page 3 Interim Indian Canyon Dr. Widening (CP 01-11) The interim widening project would be paid for separate from the federally funded project, with local and Regional Measure A funds. The estimated cost of the project consists of items which will be re-incorporated into the final project — and would not be considered "throw-away" improvements. Items that can be incorporated into the final project include the imported earthwork fill for embankments and asphalt concrete pavement which will be cold-milled and re-used in the additional imported earthwork fill required in the future widening. The interim widening project will not improve the congestion for southbound traffic north of the UPRR bridge, but will improve the worst congestion for northbound traffic between the UPRR bridge and Garnet Ave. FISCAL IMPACT: Staff has confirmed with CVAG that CVAG will agree to fund 75% of this interim widening project pursuant to the terms of our existing funding agreement. Sufficient funding for the interim widening project will be made available through local Measure A funds in account 134-4498-50196, and Regional Measure A funds in account 134-4497- 50196. SUBMITTED: Prepared by: Recommended by: Marcus L. Fuller David J. Barakian Assistant Director of Public Works Director of Public Works/City Engineer Approved by: Thomas J. Wi on, Asst. City Manager David H. Ready, Hager Attachments: Interim Widening Plan 03 z tl ,.N A � •m T s• +�=x t 3 e � etl � 1 A Y � , ""w�i_ Fn � •� JP` N V �� ,�{ � A `ti r r ,, f �fF �p A'�t +_. � I _3 S t y*.r:, �� m•, + 1�.- "�'�'.. ,t / - •. _ _ �. .t #. R. T. ima r —_ +rF n •• a ep 7 • g A} ®, 6 p'�• " R• ' INOIAN CANYON DRIVE < t y¢e {! d .y tl R e " . .I RI� ®DOKKEN INTEPI WIDENING PROJECT tl p ♦ \'< j_ • - N e �L o u [ c n u o CITY OF PALM SPRINGS • • N .e • "•J . _ _ • Y ,C`. ® F •. ! �� ALTERNATIVE ]