To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Public Infrastructure
Staff Name and Phone Number: Johannes J. Hoevertsz, 707-565-2550
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Second
Title:
Title
Ordinance Reducing Permissible Weight of Vehicles and Loads upon Bloomfield Road Bridge 20C-0293 - Adopt (Urgency)
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt an urgency ordinance reducing the permissible weight of vehicles and loads upon Bloomfield Road Bridge over Bloomfield Creek at Postmile 10.17. (4/5th Vote Required) (Second District)
end
Executive Summary:
Sonoma County Department of Public Infrastructure (SPI) has received and concurs with a Record of Critical Findings issued by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), which concludes that weight restrictions for vehicles and loads on Bloomfield Road over Bloomfield Creek need to be reduced to 21 tons per vehicle, 32 tons per semi-trailer combination, and 40 tons per truck and full trailer, based on a load rating review. The proposed ordinance is an urgency ordinance for the immediate preservation of health and safety, which shall take effect immediately upon passage by four-fifths vote of the Board. The related signage has already been posted by SPI as an emergency measure.
Discussion:
Bloomfield Road carries an average daily traffic (ADT) volume of approximately 670 vehicles per day. Bloomfield Road services the transportation needs of the immediate unincorporated area, and provides a direct connection north to Sebastopol, west to Bodega and Valley Ford, and east to Petaluma. The bridge in question spans Bloomfield Creek and was installed in 1917.
Caltrans performed a load rating review for the bridge and issued a Record of Critical Findings on September 15, 2023. This review resulted in a weight downgrade to 21 tons per vehicle, 32 tons per semi-trailer combination, and 40 tons per truck and full trailer, from 22 tons per vehicle, 34 tons per semi-trailer combination and 42 tons per truck and full trailer.
The bridge is safe to remain open and available for travel. The weight restriction would only affect a small percentage of larger trucks and trailers, most of whom use other travel routes. A weight limit is a common alteration on older bridges, due to long-term weathering. The affect to the bridge is considered minor and the bridge inspection report does not require a structural repair at this time. There is no greater risk and our department, in partnership with Caltrans, will continue to monitor the situation.
California Vehicle Code Section 35706 authorizes the Board to reduce the permissible weight of vehicles and loads on county bridges. Government Code Sections 25123(d) and 25131 authorize the Board to adopt an urgency ordinance effective immediately upon four-fifths vote for the immediate preservation of the public health and safety with a declaration of facts constituting the emergency. The urgency here is based on the fact that vehicles with loads greater than Caltrans’ recommendations could cause catastrophic failure of the bridge and loss of life and property.
Accordingly, SPI is requesting that the Board introduce and adopt an urgency ordinance reducing the permissible weight of vehicles and loads on Bloomfield Creek Bridge.
The estimated cost of labor and materials to implement the ordinance is $2,000 and appropriations are available within the 2023/2024 Road Maintenance Budget. As an emergency measure, PI has already installed the bridge weight limit signage and notified Permit Sonoma of the weight posting downgrade.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25 Projected |
FY25-26 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$2,000 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$2,000 |
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
$2,000 |
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$2,000 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Expenses associated with installing new signage on the bridge is estimated at $2,000 and are available in the FY 2023-24 Road Maintenance adopted budget (11051-34010102). Ongoing maintenance costs will be incorporated in future Roads Division annual budget requests. Road Maintenance utilizes multiple sources of funding for ongoing maintenance including: the State Highway Users Tax (HUTA), Senate Bill 1 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program (SB1), contributions from Sonoma County’s General Fund, and allocations from Measure M.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None.
Attachments:
Urgency Ordinance
Location Map
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.