The city’s buffered bicycle lane and “complete streets” traffic calming experiment on Monterey Road will end earlier than planned. But motor traffic will remain restricted to only one lane through the beginning of the fall to make room for construction through the downtown.
And that’s just one of several major construction projects that will occupy the summer and early fall in downtown Morgan Hill, as both East Third and Fourth streets—which line the north and south side of the Fourth Street garage that is also under construction—will be demolished and reconstructed starting this week.
City staff and downtown businesses are aware there will be some impacts on local economic activity due to the construction. Chamber of Commerce Chair Rich Firato said “the pain” starts July 13, when Monterey Road construction will temporarily eliminate parking spaces for patrons, but he thinks the end result will be good for business.
“The impact of the parking is going to be a deterrent for patrons and businesses, but at the same time, when it’s done it will be a benefit,” Firato said. “I don’t know how you can do this type of project without having upset people in the down time. But the city’s vision and plan are on track, and we have to go through these painful things to get to the finished product (which is) going to be beautiful and charming.”
The projects are all part of the city’s plan to upgrade and revitalize downtown infrastructure, and spend about $25 million in leftover Redevelopment Agency bond proceeds on their original purposes before the Dec. 31 deadline to do so. If the money is not spent by the end of this year, the IRS will demand it be used to pay off the 2009 RDA bonds.
Construction on the Monterey Road “streetscape” project will begin July 13, according to Morgan Hill Communications Manager Maureen Tobin.
As a result, the current buffered bicycle lane on Monterey Road from Dunne to Main Avenue will be taken over by construction crews until Aug. 21. Street parking will be unavailable on both sides Monterey Road during this time.
This first phase of the Monterey Road improvement project will consist of irrigation and electrical upgrades for existing brick garden boxes and lights along the sidewalks, concrete work, repaving and lane striping, according to city staff.
Once that is completed Aug. 21, the second phase of the project will get under way and last until Oct. 20, Tobin said. That phase will reverse construction to the inside lanes on Monterey Road (those closer to the median), which will consist of similar upgrades for the downtown median strip as well as landscaping, benches and other facilities.
From Aug. 21 to Oct. 20, the lane that now serves bicyclists will become the lone motor vehicle lane on each side of Monterey Road through downtown. No bicycle lane will be available throughout both phases, but street parking will be reopened during the second phase.
Pedestrian access will remain unrestricted during the construction, city staff said.
Some construction will take place at nighttime and in the early mornings (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) to limit the impact on local business.
The City Council approved the buffered bicycle lane as a temporary, six-month experiment earlier this year. Its purpose was to see if the change would make the downtown friendlier for pedestrians, bicycles and families.
The trial started Feb. 18, and was originally scheduled to continue until the middle of August. However, city staff decided last week that it’s better to shorten the experiment in order to accommodate the streetscape construction schedule.
During the experiment, the city and consultant Alta Planning and Design collected data such as vehicle speeds, pedestrian activity, noise levels, traffic volumes, cycling lane usage, parking occupancy and other metrics.
The five-member city council will hear a final report at the Aug. 5 meeting, which is four weeks earlier than originally planned, Tobin added. No sooner than October, the council will decide whether or not to make the one-lane, buffered bicycle passage configuration a permanent part of the downtown strip.The streetscape project will not determine the ultimate lane configuration.
The project will cost about $2.1 million, with Stockbridge General Contracting performing the work. It will be funded by bond proceeds left over from the Redevelopment Agency, which was closed by the state in 2012. The council approved the contract at the June 17 meeting.
The temporary complete streets trial cost about $250,000, also funded by former RDA proceeds, according to city staff.
Third and Fourth streets
Also starting this week, with visible impacts starting next week, are the reconstruction of East Third and Fourth streets.
The East Third Street Promenade was built in 2009 with about $3 million in RDA, but its unique construction and design have resulted in extensive damages since then, according to city staff. While the city is in court trying to recover monetary damages from the construction and design contractors it hired to build the street, it is fronting the cost of reconstruction (with leftover RDA funds) to replace loose, cracked and sinking paver stones with a more stable surface.
The project will require demolition of the existing pavers and sidewalk, as well as the grassy area and decorative fountain in the middle of Third Street, city staff added. A new plaza-like gathering place will be built on the south side of the street, between the roadway and the Fourth Street garage under a sprawling heritage oak tree that sits behind Huntington Station restaurant.
During construction, which is expected to last until Sept. 7, alternate ends of East Third Street will be closed to through traffic during daylight hours. (See the tentative schedule below for details.)
The reconstruction of Fourth Street, including placing utility lines underground and replacement of sidewalks, will take place from July 6 to early October, according to city staff. More details on the schedule will be available as the project progresses. The contractor anticipates at least one day during the week of Aug. 3, water and sewer service will be unavailable to residents and businesses while new connections are made.
The reconstruction of Third and Fourth streets were added to the contract with F&H Construction, which is building the three-story, 271-space parking Fourth Street Garage. The council approved the change order at the May 20 meeting, at a cost of about $2.1 million.
The original contract for the parking garage was approved last year at a cost of about $8.6 million.
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Monterey Road streetscape
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July 13 to Aug. 21: Construction on the outside lanes will close the buffered bike lane to all traffic, and will close street parking.
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Aug. 22 to Oct. 20: Construction will take place on the inside lanes and median, shifting all vehicle traffic to the outside lanes only. Parking will return during this phase. No bicycle lane will be available during the entirety of the project.
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Third Street
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July 6 to July 31: Eastern half of East Third Street will be closed to through traffic during daylight hours due to street reconstruction and plaza project.
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July 27 to Sept. 7: Western half of East Third Street will be closed to through traffic during daylight hours.
Fourth Street
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July 6 to July 31: Utilities will be placed underground, requiring trenching and reconnection of service.
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Aug. 31 to October: Demolition and reconstruction of the roadway and sidewalks.
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Second Street
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Aug. 31 to Nov. 20: Utilities will be moved underground.
