APTOS — Work is pressing forward to permanently open Valencia Road over Trout Gulch Creek, which was closed in early 2017 when winter storms caused a large culvert to fail and the heavily travelled road to sink, county spokesman Jason Hoppin said Wednesday.
A temporary bridge opened in August.
County road crews are aiming for a Feb. 13 completion date for a two-lane bridge over the culvert. The overall cost is $4 million.
“It was a very complicated job and a number of issues arose,” Hoppin said.
The county worked with the Federal Highway Administration, Caltrans, state regulators, utility companies, neighbors and nearby Valencia Elementary School on a repair plan.
The road repair is being funded by the Federal Highway Administration and local matching funds.
Meanwhile, just around the corner, crews put the final touches on an extensive storm repair job on the southbound lane of Soquel Drive at the rail trestle just south of Aptos Village.
