A ribbon-cutting was held Thursday to celebrate the completion of an upgrade to the heavily worn out Murphy Crossing Road east of Watsonville.
With close to 1,800 vehicles a day using the .63-mile stretch between San Juan and Riverside roads, the two-lane roadway was for years riddled with pot holes, cracks and alligator surface, and was a daily headache for residents and agricultural businesses.
“It took several years of advocacy between funding and working hard with our Public Works Division,” said Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez. “This is a safer, stronger connection for our community and we see what funding and partnership makes possible.”
Assistant County Executive Officer Nicole Coburn described the stretch as a major arterial road connecting Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. While finding funds proved difficult, she said, efforts by Hernandez and Public Works pushed it to completion.
The $730,000 project ran from September to June under lead contractor, Graniterock.
Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo said has pushed for improvements of the road, and in 2013 spearheaded the naming of Riverside Road in that area to Ohlone/ Kallentarak Highway after the indigenous people of the land.
Upcoming projects include work on Lee Road and West Breach Road in Watsonville.
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