TAMC Board Approves Programming for Federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 Funds

The Transportation Agency Board of Directors approved the programming of federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 funds that are distributed through the State Transportation Improvement Program to the State Route 156/Castroville Boulevard improvement project.

This opportunity for new funding is made possible from $911.8 million of funding to the State of California through the appropriations act signed into law by the federal government in December. The intent of these funds is to provide relief to regional agencies and local jurisdictions who have suffered the lost off gas tax revenues under the shelter-in-place by funding projects that are ready to move forward quickly.

TAMC is expecting to receive from $2.2 million or $4.5 million of federal stimulus funds through the State Transportation Improvement Program depending on the distribution method approved by the California Transportation Commission. The State Route 156 / Castroville Boulevard project cost is $55.2 million, including $29.5 million in construction costs. The project has a certain portion of Measure X and Regional Development Impact fee funds that are more flexible than the federal funds, yet the project is already federalized. Shifting these new federal funds to the SR 156 project would allow these local funds to be available to other eligible regional projects.

TAMC Board Approves Prioritizing Projects for Federal Community Project Funding

The Transportation Agency Board of Directors approved TAMC staff recommendations to prioritize the US 101 South of Salinas project and the State Route 68 Scenic Corridor  project for Federal Community Project funding. Prioritizing the regional Measure X projects would make them eligible for  two versions of this new federal funding source. Up to $2 million from a 2022 congressional appropriation for the US 101 South of Salinas project will be used for project’s development and environmental review. A potential new infrastructure authorization could  direct up to $20 million to construct the  State Route 68 Corridor project.

Caltrans Provides Update on Highway 1 at Rat Creek

 Caltrans reported that crews continue to steadily work 7 days a week throughout the daylight hours to restore Highway 1 in Big Sur at Rat Creek. To date they have removed 70,000 cubic yards of debris from the highway and replaced it with 25,000 cubic yards of fill material. Much to the expressed gratitude of Supervisor Adams and TAMC Board Chair Ed Smith, City Councilmember for the City of Monterey, for their hard work, Caltrans remains on track to reopen the Highway 1 this summer.