Riverside County supervisors Tuesday approved a $64.79 million contract with a Watsonville-based engineering company for construction of a railroad grade separation in Jurupa Valley that will permanently alleviate conflicts between cars and trains at the location.
In a 5-0 vote without comment, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Transportation & Land Management Agency to formally enter into the agreement with Granite Construction Inc.
The company was selected from among five contractors that bid on the Jurupa Road/Union Pacific Railroad Grade Separation Project.
“The project will eliminate at-grade crossing at the UPRR line located on Jurupa Road to provide uninterrupted and efficient access for motorists, residents, businesses, pedestrians and emergency vehicles in the area,” according to a TMLA statement posted to the board’s policy agenda.
Two sets of tracks currently cross Jurupa at Van Buren Boulevard, and when freight or commuter trains transit the space, all vehicular traffic must come to a halt.
The two-year project, which is expected to begin before the end of summer, will require constructing an underpass, enabling motorists and pedestrians to avoid the tracks altogether.
A Jurupa Community Services District water main and utility equipment will have to be relocated because of the project, which will additionally necessitate building new drainage canals, gutters, a fiber optics vault, pump stations, curbs and fences, according to TLMA.
The state is funding almost three-quarters of the project, while the Riverside County Transportation Commission is covering roughly a quarter of the cost via Measure A sales tax revenue, and the JCSD is picking up 3% of the budget.
No county General Fund money will be needed, officials said.