Accept as complete the construction work on the County Road 40 Bridge Over Cache Creek Replacement Project performed under Agreement 5555-2022-3011-Steelhead-21-37 by Steelhead Constructors JV. (No general fund impact) (Echiburú/Christison)
 

Steelhead Constructors JV substantially completed construction of this project on November 4, 2022, in accordance with the contract plans and specifications.  The Board of Supervisors’ acceptance of the work, and authorization for the Interim Director of Public Works to record the Notice of Completion, will allow the project to be closed out and final payment to be made to the contractor.
 
Background
 
The County Road (CR) 40 Bridge Over Cache Creek is in northwestern Yolo County, near the intersection of County Road 40 and State Route 16, approximately 5 miles northwest of the town of Rumsey.  The bridge is within the Cache Creek Regional Park’s Lower Site.  The previous six-cell reinforced concrete box culvert bridge (aka Low Water Bridge) was determined to be structurally deficient with a safe load capacity designated at zero tons, and was closed to vehicular traffic in 2008.
 
When a portion of the Rumsey area burned in the 2015 Rocky Fire, CalFire could not use the failed CR 40 bridge for its heavy equipment to access fire lines and instead had to build a temporary crossing over Cache Creek.  Most recently in the 2020 LNU Complex Fire, the National Guard was mobilized to install a temporary bridge just upstream of the failed low water crossing, so CalFire could fight the wildfire in the wilderness area west of Cache Creek.
 
In order to accelerate replacement of the bridge, the County received an $800,000 grant from CalFire in 2018 to fund the preliminary engineering and environmental phases of the project.
 
The replacement bridge is a three-span, cast-in-place, reinforced concrete slab superstructure supported on two-column pile extension bents and seat type abutments, founded on 30-inch cast-in-drilled-hole concrete piles.  The replacement bridge was constructed on an improved alignment at essentially the same location as the old bridge. The bridge provides a minimum clear width of 20-feet, the same as the old structure. The structure was constructed with a horizontal curve radius of 132-feet, to accommodate CalFire’s 72-foot long tractor and trailer vehicle used to transport their firefighting equipment across Cache Creek.  The new bridge also provides enough vertical clearance for recreational rafters to pass underneath it during summer irrigation creek flows.
 
The CEQA mitigated negative declaration for this project was approved on November 17, 2020.  The NEPA categorical exclusion was approved on January 11, 2021.  In addition, County staff and Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation staff collaborated early in the design and environmental phases of the project to ensure an acceptable design and bridge alignment in relation to cultural resources previously identified in the area of the project.
 
To further accelerate replacement of this bridge, CalFire provided $2,200,000 in State funds for construction phase activities necessary to replace the bridge.  The balance of construction phase funds will be reimbursed by the federal Highway Bridge Program (HBP).  The bridge is programmed for HBP construction reimbursement for up to $4,065,298.  With CalFire’s contribution of construction funds, the county will not need to request the full amount programmed in the HBP.
 
The Board of Supervisors approved the plans and specifications for the replacement of this bridge on April 6, 2021 and authorized the Department to advertise for bids and award a contract to the lowest responsive bidder.
 
Five bids were received at the bid opening on June 11, 2021, ranging from $3,411,982.06 to $4,670,249.00.  Steelhead Constructors JV was the lowest bidder and following receipt of the contractor’s bond and insurance certificates, the contract was executed on July 9, 2021.
 
Existing bridge removal was completed in Fall 2021.  Bridge replacement work began on April 1, 2022 and progressed through the summer construction season. The project was substantially completed on November 4, 2022.
 
The project was completed without any claims, and within the authorized budget.  The cost of the contract, as well as County staff costs to administer and inspect the project, will be 100% reimbursed with CalFire State funds and federal Highway Bridge Program funds administered by Caltrans.

County Administrator’s Office staff coordinated with CalFire and Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry’s Office to secure the CalFire State funds for construction

The competitive bid process was completed in accordance with State law. The project was advertised on May 20, 2021, and bids were opened and read publicly at the Department of Community Services on June 11, 2021. Five bids were received at the bid opening on June 11, 2021, ranging from $3,411,982.06 to $4,670,249.

Steelhead Constructors JV was the lowest bidder and following receipt of the contractor’s bond and insurance certificates, the contract was executed on July 9, 2021.