CA FLAP 03S11(1) Reds Meadow Road

PROJECT NUMBER:  CA FLAP 03S11(1)

PROJECT NAME:  Reds Meadow Road

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:  Reds Meadow Road is 8.3 miles long and provides the only access to several Inyo National Forest campgrounds, day use parking areas, trailheads, horse camp and equestrian facilities, Minaret Vista entrance station, Devils Postpile National Monument, and Reds Meadow Resort and Pack Station. The road begins at the intersection with Highway 203 at the Minaret Vista Entrance Station, continues along the side of the mountain and descends 2.5 miles into the valley, and then traverses the valley floor for 5.8 miles. The figure below provides a visual summary of the project location.

The upper 2.5 miles of the road are a single lane with turnouts and it is experiencing pavement and fill slope failures in several locations. This portion of the project, Schedule A, will be reconstructed (4R) to include a widened bench to accommodate two lanes of traffic. The lower 5.8 miles of the road, Option X, currently supports two lane traffic and will be rehabilitated (3R).

SCOPE OF THE WORK:  The project consists of reconstructing and widening the upper 2.5 miles of road to a two-lane road.  Widening will be accomplished in this section through the cut slopes, fill slopes, soil nail walls, reinforced soil slopes, and rock cuts. Guardrail will be constructed in select locations.  The lower 5.8 miles of road will be rehabilitated through pulverization and repaving with a few areas of superelevation correction, the reconstruction of the entrance to the Devil’s Postpile National Monument, and the excavation and or clearing of a few embankments to improve sight distance. The project involves a variety of work including excavation, rock excavation, soil nail walls, reinforced soil slopes, pipe culverts, guardrail, ditch reconditioning, drainage repairs, riprap, asphalt paving, full depth reclamation (pulverize and pave), erosion control, and revegetation. 

Items worth noting:

• Being the only access road to several recreation sites, Reds Meadow Road receives significant traffic during the summer months. Full closures during the daytime will not be allowed for the majority of the construction season. Maintenance of public traffic will be an important construction consideration. Daytime delays will be a maximum of 30 minutes.
• The project elevation is between 8,000 and 9,000 feet. The construction season will generally be May to October but will depend on weather.
• The project is in very steep, mountainous terrain, with a very narrow bench in the upper 2.5 mile portion of the project. Widening through the construction of soil nail walls, rock cuts, and reinforce soil fill slopes, will be difficult in this terrain.
• 14 soil nail walls with max heights ranging from 6 to 12 feet are proposed. Soil nails will be installed in hard rock that includes fractured areas, boulders, and zones of talus.
• A sculpted and colored concrete facing to blend with the surrounding geology will be required on the soil nail walls.
• Some rock excavation may require blasting.

PRINCIPAL WORK ITEMS:

Approximate quantities for major work items:

• 9,500 cubic yards of roadway embankment
• 26,000 cubic yards of reinforced soil slope
• 31,000 square feet of soil nail retaining wall
• 4,000 cubic yards of rock excavation
• 12,000 tons of roadway aggregate
• 22,000 tons of asphalt concrete pavement
• 5.8 miles of full depth reclamation
• 3,700 linear feet pipe culvert (15 to 36 inch diameter)
• 3,325 linear feet of guardrail
• 9,800 linear feet of asphalt curb

ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE: 

Advertise:  September 2022

Award:  December 2022

Construction:  Spring 2023 – Fall 2024

Note construction will be two seasons. May to approximately October in 2023 and 2024.

ESTIMATED COST RANGE:  The anticipated cost range is between $20,000,000 and $30,000,000.

FUNDING SOURCE:  Funding is primarily through the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP), with supplemental funds from the Federal Lands Transportation Program (FLTP) provided by both the Inyo National Forest and Devil’s Postpile National Monument.