The Sonora City Council on Monday will consider approving a $2.6 million construction contract for a project that would add bus stops and make other changes to the downtown area’s busiest intersection.
Approval of the contract would allow the city to break ground on the so-called “Washington-Stockton Corridor-Downtown Transit and Accessibility Improvement Project,” which has been in development for more than four years.
Much of the planned work would be located along Stockton Road, from South Green Street to South Washington Street.
Among the proposed improvements are the addition of bus stops on each side of Stockton Road just west of South Green Street, a crosswalk across Stockton Road at South Green Street, and ADA-compliant curb ramps.
Caltrans is funding the project, as both Stockton Road and Washington Street are part of State Highway 49.
An initial engineer’s estimate for the cost to construct the project was $1.6 million when the council approved going out to bid in December last year, but the only bid received was for $2.6 million from contractor Dirt Dynasty Inc., based in Valley Springs.
Total project costs are expected to be nearly $3.4 million, which includes construction, management, state-furnished materials and contingency funds.
Funding provided to the city at the time the project went out to bid was about $2.1 million, though the state has agreed to cover the nearly $1.3 million difference.
On Monday, the council will also consider a nearly $380,000 contract for Folsom-based UNICO Engineering to serve as construction engineer and inspector, as well as a $26,500 extension for national design firm Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. to serve as a consultant.
Public meeting materials stated construction would take up to 130 days and begin after all agreements are signed and approved, though they didn’t offer any specific dates.
The council has been discussing the project since at least 2018, but the initial concept stems back to the city’s Vision Sonora beautification and mobility improvement plan approved by the council in 2013.
Also on Monday, the council will consider approving a temporary closure of Highway 49 and parking restriction for the 39th annual Historic Downtown Sonora Christmas Parade on Nov. 25.
There also will be the first of two hearings for the council to consider approving changes to city zoning code that relax some requirements for people wanting to construct accessory dwelling units on their property, in an effort to better comply with new state laws.
The council will also get presentations from the Blue Zones Project Tuolumne County on efforts to make the city an “age-friendly” community and the Sonora Chamber of Commerce goal of getting the city recognized as a “Christmas Town.”
Newly hired Sonora Police Officer Ron Watson will also be introduced to the council at the meeting, which begins at 5 p.m. in the council’s chambers on the second floor of City Hall at 94. N. Washington St., Sonora.
