Published April 5th, 2017
Rheem Boulevard Opens
By Cathy Dausman
From left: Edric Kwan, Teresa Onoda, Dave Trotter, John Anderson, Kevin Ebrahimi and Bob Priebe Photo A. Scheck
Pedestrian traffic along a length of south Rheem Boulevard yielded to automobiles with the snip of a ribbon March 30 as town officials opened the newly paved roadway to vehicle traffic.
Mayor Teresa Onoda called the roadbed a "slow moving landslide," which she said had been failing since 1948. Onoda said the $2.6 million project, which will stabilize the road, took nearly eight months to complete. It was a team effort, she said, crediting former town manager Jill Keimach, who negotiated cost-sharing among participating agencies, former mayors Dave Trotter and Mike Metcalf who promoted the passage of Measure K funds for road repair, and public works director and town engineer Edric Kwan.
"This is exciting, taking things off the plate," said Kwan, who can now concentrate on sinkhole repairs and repaving along a portion of Moraga Road. "I am not going to close two roads if I can help it," Kwan said. Recent rain delays pushed the road's opening back and frustrated both residents and town officials, but Onoda assured her audience the road was built without compromise. "We're building for the future in our splendid tiny town," she said. "First, Rheem Boulevard, next - the sinkhole!"





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