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Evening walkers at the intersection of Reliez Station Road and Olympic Boulevard near one of 17 utility structures undergoing work. Photo C. Tyson
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Burton Valley residents aren't thrilled; neither are Moraga drivers.
Reliez Station Road is getting its pavement freshened and storm drains addressed, along with some utility updates, for the first time in 11 years. The project has diverted a number of Lafayette residents and many Moraga drivers as well who would normally take the "back way" out of town, via Olympic Boulevard, to hop on the freeway. The rerouted traffic has added to the volume of cars on already congested Moraga Road. Motorists can usually be confidant that during the summer months, when school is not in session, heading down to Mt. Diablo Boulevard on Moraga Road is a breeze. If all goes according to schedule, the breeze should come back in August.
The well-traveled artery is slated to be closed through the end of July on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The road was last overlaid in 1993 and received a slurry seal in 2003 according to Farzaneh Sanders, a senior engineer with the City of Lafayette.
Utility structures, 17 in total, also require work, and at each location the contractor needs to demolish and reset the structure top to match the level of the future new pavement. Those structures include sewer manhole inlets, EBMUD valve boxes and manholes, along with storm drain inlets that need a facelift prior to the final coat of pavement being installed. Also on the project list is removing and replacing damaged sections of guardrail.
Project manager Jason Balatti, of Argonaut Constructors, said that while there may be some unforeseen variables out there, they are slated to finish on time at the end of the month. "It's tough to close down a major artery, but we appreciate everyone's patience." Argonaut crews are also working on road resurfacing projects throughout Lafayette that are part of the 2014 Road Rehabilitation Project.
Residents with property on Reliez Station Road, and other streets that are being worked on, are on notice that vegetation that encroaches into or overhangs the roadway will need to be pruned to allow for construction equipment.
For updates on the project's progress, go to www.lovelafayette.org, then click on Hot Topics and go to Reliez Station Road Paving.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA