REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 20, 2025
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director, Department of Public Works - Transportation
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Award from the California Transportation Commission - Local Transportation Climate Adaptation Program Cycle 2
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Accept a grant award from California Transportation Commission, in the amount of $11,325,000, under the Local Transportation Climate Adaptation Program Cycle 2, to fund the replacement of nine bridges on National Trails Highway in the Daggett area.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Director, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Operate in a Fiscally Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Department of Public Works (Department) is funded by Gas Tax revenue, fee revenue, and other state, federal and local funding. The total estimated cost to replace nine timber bridges on National Trails Highway (Historic Route 66) in the Daggett area (Project), is $27,000,000. The costs incurred during the preliminary engineering phases of this Project will be funded with a combination of Measure” I” Major Local Highway Program (MLHP) funds, formula State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds allocated to the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA). Sufficient appropriation and revenue are included in the Department’s 2024-25 Road Operations budget (6650002000 H15302) and will be included in future recommended budgets as necessary.
A combined match of $15,675,000 will be used towards the total construction costs of the Project, meeting the 20% non-federal match requirement, which will be funded by SBCTA with either STIP or STP formula funds, allocated to SBCTA.
Proposed funding for the nine bridges on National Trails Highway Project, including the Local Transportation Climate Adaptation Program (LTCAP) Cycle 2 grant award and the required local match, is as follows:
|
Project |
Total Cost Estimate |
LTCAP Grant Award |
Non-Federal Match and Source |
|
Nine National Trails Highway Bridges located at Signal Ditch, Green Ditch, Blue Ditch, Crest Ditch, Crimp Ditch, Ant Ditch, Powerline Ditch, Bloom Ditch, and Blossom Ditch |
$27,000,000 |
$11,325,000 |
$15,675,000 SBCTAMLHP/STP/STIP |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The LTCAP is a federal competitive grant which provides funding, on a reimbursement basis, for the development and implementation of projects that are intended to adapt to the changing climate, increase climate resiliency, and protect at-risk transportation infrastructure as well as vulnerable and under-resourced communities. Selected projects must meet the LTCAP goals of enhancing climate resiliency and protecting vulnerable transportation infrastructure based on California’s climate projections, while also ensuring the equitable distribution of meaningful environmental and climate resiliency benefits to underserved and under-resourced communities.
On August 20, 2024 (Item No. 71), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the submission of the LTCAP grant application in the amount of $14,200,000.
On August 29, 2024, the Department submitted an LTCAP grant application to fund the reconstruction of nine timber bridges on National Trails Highway, located in the Daggett area, at Signal Ditch, Green Ditch, Blue Ditch, Crest Ditch, Crimp Ditch, Ant Ditch, Powerline Ditch, Bloom Ditch, and Blossom Ditch. The nine timber bridges were originally built in the 1930s with a projected lifespan of only 50 years and are now well beyond their design lifespan. The nine timber bridges are under 20 feet in length and therefore are not eligible for bridge replacement funds under the federal Highway Bridge Program. The County will reconstruct these timber bridges, replacing them with modern concrete bridge designs that replicate the original structures. Since the National Trail Highway is designated by the State of California as “Historic Route 66,” preserving the historic character is an important priority.
On February 7, 2025, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) notified the Department that the County’s funding request to replace the nine bridges on National Trails Highway was awarded $11,325,000 of the $14,200,000 original requested amount. The County will receive only a partial amount of the total grant funding amount requested because the total awarded grant amounts would have otherwise exceeded the CTC’s total available grant funding. Allocation of the grant funds is expected by fiscal year 2027-28. The CTC approved the grant award of $11,325,000 at their March 20-21, 2025, Commission meeting (Resolution G-25-26). Approval of this item will authorize the acceptance of the grant award; however, the Department will return to the Board for the approval of any program supplement agreements and other applicable documents required for the acceptance of the grant.
This action meets the County’s and the Chief Executive Officer’s goals and objectives of operating in a fiscally responsible and business-like manner to ensure the development of a well-planned, balanced, and sustainable county by constructing facilities that promote safety and mobility.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Aaron Gest, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 29, 2025; Finance (Kathleen Gonzalez, Administrative Analyst, 387-5412) on May 1, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on May 4, 2025.