An emergency resolution is needed for county staff to install a temporary fix to a culvert underneath Washington Boulevard. | Google Maps

Unable to temporarily fix a culvert underneath Washington Boulevard, Del Norte County staff will ask the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to declare an emergency and hire a contractor.

Del Norte’s engineering division is working on a permanent replacement for the culvert located east of Harrold Street roughly 25 feet below the roadway. However, while attempting to slip line it with a smaller pipe, staff discovered that one of the joints in the existing culvert has separated, according to County Engineer Jon Olson.

The failed joint as well as large rocks prevented staff from installing the slip liner, Olson stated in his staff report.

“It is my opinion that the county should declare an emergency so that we can engage a contractor to provide support as the nature of the work has grown beyond the available county equipment and staff capacity,” Olson wrote.

A contractor should be able to excavate down to the damaged joint, remove the material and install the rest of the slip liner, according to Olson. He estimates the work will take about three weeks and would require a few hours’ interruption of water and sewer service.
Washington Boulevard will remain open, though lane shifting would be required, Olson said.

Olson’s report cites California Public Contracts Code Section 22050, which states the Board of Supervisors can forego the bidding process and take immediate action to rectify a situation that can’t be delayed.

Olson states that the culvert replacement project likely won’t be put out to bid until next summer and states it could become plugged or collapsed if the slip liner project isn’t finished.

County staff presented this project to the Del Norte Local Transportation Commission as part of a funding request. At the time, Rosanna Bower, Olson’s colleague in the engineering department, said she was seeking funding for the project’s design. She estimated that construction on the project would start in 2025.

In other matters, the Board of Supervisors will consider submitting a grant to the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program for rehabilitation to the Del Norte County Jail.

This proposal from the sheriff comes after Del Norte County received $3.08 million in Congressionally Designated Spending dollars last year.

The Board of Supervisors will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Flynn Center, 981 H Street in Crescent City. To access meeting via Zoom and view the agenda, click here.

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