Transportation

Busy Spring Valley Road Gets a Major Facelift

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A new and improved stretch of Jamacha Boulevard in Spring Valley is open to traffic, completing a multi-year, multimillion dollar  project.

The Department of Public Works  transformed an almost two mile stretch of Jamacha, widening the roadway from two to four lanes between Huron Street and Sweetwater Springs Boulevard. The new road bed is made of rubberized asphalt concrete, which lasts longer and is quieter than standard asphalt concrete when cars travel over it. So the next time you recycle your old worn out tires, realize they are truly “where the rubber meets the road.”

The project also included improved traffic signals, and added pedestrian, bike and  turning lanes. The result is a safer road with better traffic flow and functionality.

In addition, the County upgraded the road’s storm drains and sewer system, undergrounded overhead utility lines and installed a new Otay Water District water line.

The project cost $8.6 million. Funding came from the County’s road fund, as well as revenues from the TransNet sales tax, Prop. 1B, developer deposits and contributions from utility undergrounding funds.

The County spent years designing the Jamacha project. Construction took nearly two years and occurred in two phases. Crews even built a large plywood sound barrier to protect birds such as the Least Bell’s Vireo, as required by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  That wall is scheduled to come down in mid-September, after the breeding season ends.

Public Works is responsible for  maintaining the nearly 2,000 miles of County roadways. See video of crews maintaining roads with a “skin patch.”