| | Published August 14th, 2013
| Residents Ask Questions about Road Repair Project
| | By Celia Magidson and Sophie Braccini | | |
Most Moragans are now aware that the 2013 pavement campaign has begun. Repairs will be followed by rubber chip-sealing and microsurfacing. The work should be finished by the end of September, weather permitting.
On Aug. 5, Moraga's public works director, Edric Kwan, held two public meetings with construction manager Ryan Perry, of Harris and Associates, and Mike Koenig, project manager with VSS International, the company doing the road work. Residents shared their concerns, which largely revolved around mitigation of the disruptions to their daily lives due to the massive repair project.
The first concern residents asked about was the impact of road closures - once the repairs are done the second phase, rubber chip-seal and microsurfacing, will result in roads being closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. "When a road is closed, will one lane only be closed or the whole street?" asked one woman. "It will depend on the length of the street," responded Perry. "If it is long, we'll address one lane at a time; if it is a short road, it will be entirely closed."
An older gentleman wondered about parking while the roads are closed. "How will we know when not to park?" he asked. Kwan said that a notice will be sent to all affected residents regarding the upcoming work one to two weeks before construction begins; in addition, the construction team will install removable signs along the affected streets with dates and times when parking is prohibited. Another resident asked if acceptable parking zones would be identified; as it turns out, it is the responsibility of residents to check the map on the town's website and pay attention to the street signs.
Kwan added that the very best way to keep up with what's going on is by consulting the Facebook page that's updated by his staff throughout the day. It is not necessary to have a Facebook account, explained Kwan, "you can go to the town's website and click on the link to the page." The direct address of the page is www.facebook.com/MoragaMeasureK.
A woman expressed concerns regarding the passage of emergency vehicles on closed streets. "In case of emergency, the construction crew will spread sand on the surface so emergency vehicles can drive without too much damage to the work," explained Perry. Kwan concurred and assured the resident that emergency vehicles would have access at all times if needed.
And if you're out of town or simply refuse to cooperate? "What happens if someone does not move their car is that someone will go and knock on their front door. If no action follows, the police will be called, and the vehicle will be removed at the owner's expense," answered Kwan.
Another woman asked if bad weather in the fall could affect the construction planning. "The work will have to be interrupted if it rains," responded Perry. "Both rubber chip-seal and microsurfacing need dry weather, with a minimum outside temperature of 40 to 50 degrees."
The last questions reflected concerns about the quality of the road treatment. One resident asked whether there is a risk that the microsurfacing treatment will start peeling on streets that are heavily used. "In Yosemite, we applied the same treatment," responded Perry. "Those are roads that see hundreds of tourists daily, and the road treatment has remained very smooth, as anticipated." As to how long these treatments will preserve the roads, Perry said that the lifespan of microsurfacing is an average of 7 to 8 years.
Perry said after the meeting that the contractor is scheduled to start the rubber chip-sealing and microsurfacing treatment by Aug. 26 and that the first affected areas will be in the southern part of town- streets off Larch Avenue, Canyon Road, and Sanders Drive.
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Moraga Gets Over $7 Million for Roads
In early August, Quint and Thimmig, LLP, informed the town of Moraga that the sale of its Certificates of Participation had been completed for a total of $7,918,327. In a note to town council members, town manager Jill Keimach indicated that the sale had been very successful given the market over the past several months and the continuing up-tick of interest rates. She did not have a complete list of purchasers but wrote that Schwab Muni Fund was the largest purchaser.
S.Braccini
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA