Klamath Lake Rehab 2R

Klamath Lake Rehab 2R

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), using state and federal funding, is proposing a pavement rehabilitation project on state route (SR) 161 in Siskiyou County from post mile (PM) 4.5 to 9.1. The purpose of the project is to restore the pavement to a state of good repair that will require minimal maintenance. The project is needed because the pavement at this location currently exhibits signs of severe distress with many areas of localized failure, including rutting, fatigue cracking, and extensive digouts. This deterioration requires frequent ongoing maintenance, which increases maintenance costs and decreases worker safety. The proposed improvements would include: Temporary Advance Warning Signage • Install temporary advance warning signage at PM 4.2 and at PM 9.1 in road shoulders to inform the traveling public of construction. Paving • Rehabilitate the existing pavement structural section from PM 4.5 to PM 9.0. Remove the existing asphalt concrete pavement and base/subbase material to a total depth of 0.8 feet below the existing roadway surface. Then, place a subgrade enhancement geotextile, subgrade enhancement geogrid, and 0.35 feet of class 2 aggregate base (CL 2 AB) along the roadbed. Finally, place 0.8 feet of type A hot mix asphalt (HMA-A) with lime treatment atop the CL 2 AB. This structural section represents the 20-year design life recommended by Caltrans North Region Material Lab. This will result in a profile increase of approximately 0.35 feet. • Pave and improve driveway and road connections at PM 5.27, 5.88 LT/RT, 5.92 LT/RT, 7.07, and 8.06. Bring driveway and road connections up to current standards, as needed. Pave unpaved maintenance vehicle turnout (MVT) at PM 9.04. All such paving not occurring directly on SR 161 will excavate to a depth of 1.0 feet, then place 0.5 feet HMA-A over 0.5 feet CL 2 AB. Pave up to 20 feet from existing edge of traveled way (ETW). This will result in a new impervious surface (NIS) area of approximately 6000 square feet. • Due to profile height increase, add approximately 4” of shoulder backing along both sides of SR 161 through project limits. This will result in a disturbed soil area (DSA) of approximately 186,700 square feet (4.29 acres), which also includes the driveway improvements, MVT improvements, and staging areas. • Grind and pave ("mill and fill") to a variable depth of 0.2 to 0.55 feet outside the ETW for approximately 260 feet at the existing vista point. Curb Ramps • At the vista point located at PM 8.70, curb ramps would be upgraded with truncated domes to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Gutter Work • At the vista point at PM 8.70, rock slope protection would be placed at each end of an existing gutter. Ground Disturbance No tree removal would occur. Approximately 4.29 acres of soil would be disturbed by the work. This total is primarily contributed to by 3.2 acres of cut/fill slopes along new shoulder elevations. The remaining DSA (1.09 acres) would be a result of the driveway improvements, MVT improvements, and staging area. Maximum excavation depth would be approximately 0.8 feet deep. As this project has a new impervious surface area under 10,000 square feet, there are no post construction stormwater treatment requirements. Signage • Replace 14 roadside signs. These signs are located at PM 4.98 (right side of road), 5.95 (left and right sides of road), 6.00 (left and right sides of road), 6.11 (left and right sides of road), 7.70 (right side of road), 8.00 (left and right sides of road), 8.50 (right side of road), 8.70 (right side of road), 8.80 (right side of road), and 8.90 (left side of road). • Replace six interpretive exhibits at the vista point at PM 8.70. • Replace existing metal posts for object markers and delineators throughout the project limits. The project would be completed in one construction season. The work is anticipated to begin in April 2026 and would be completed by November 2026, although the exact start and end dates could change depending on a variety of factors. The project will require 24-hour reversing one-way traffic control when traffic is running on an unpaved surface. Borrow/Disposal Sites No borrow sites would be utilized. The project would utilize six disposal sites. One disposal site is located within Caltrans’ right-of-way along SR 161 in Siskiyou County at PM 14.8 (along the westbound lane). Five disposal sites are located within Caltrans’ right-of-way along SR 97 in Siskiyou County at the following locations: PM 51.30 (along the southbound lane), 52.30 (along the southbound lane), 52.50 (along the northbound lane), and 53.90 (along the southbound and northbound lanes). The disposal site on SR 97 in Siskiyou County at PM 52.50 was previously approved for use as a disposal site by the Macdoel to Dorris Pavement Rehabilitation Project (EA 02-4C010) and is an active disposal site. Staging/Stockpiling Staging and stockpiling would occur within Caltrans’ right-of-way along SR 161 in Siskiyou County at PM 14.9 (along the westbound lane). Utilities Underground fiber optic cables owned by the California-Oregon Telephone Company (Cal-Ore) run parallel to SR 161 throughout the project limits. The cables are buried 40 feet north from the centerline between PM 4.5 and PM 9.0 and 8 feet north from the edge of traveled way between PM 9.0 and 9.59. The minimum depth of cover for the fiber optic cables is 48 inches below the existing ground surface. No utilities would be installed or relocated to accommodate the proposed improvements. Right-of-Way Most of the work would occur within Caltrans’ right-of-way. Work associated with improving a road connection at PM 8.06 and improvements at the vista point at PM 8.70 would occur outside Caltrans’ right-of-way on federal land owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Federal land owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service is present throughout the project limits, excluding the staging/stockpiling area and disposal sites. A temporary construction easement (TCE) would be required for work occurring outside Caltrans’ right-of-way at the vista point at PM 8.70. A permit to enter and construct (PEC) would be needed for work occurring outside Caltrans’ right-of-way at a road connection at PM 8.06. Work on federal land would require coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether any other permits/authorizations would be needed. Construction of the project would not require the permanent acquisition of additional right-of-way. Permits Based on the current scope of work, permits would not be required from the Army Corps of Engineers, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. A special use permit would be needed from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Coordination/Consultation Caltrans has performed a review of resource records and databases and consulted with applicable agencies and individuals. Consultation with tribes and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (the agency responsible for managing the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge) is ongoing and will continue through project completion.

Siskiyou

Northern California