Memorandum
Date: June 2, 2026
To: The Honorable Brad Rasmussen, Chair, Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Lars Ewing, Public Works Director
Subject: Consideration of the 2026 Transportation Work Plan and 2027-2031 Five-Year Transportation Program
Executive Summary:
The Lake County Public Works Department is responsible for maintaining and improving transportation infrastructure throughout Lake County, including the County roadway network and Lampson Field Airport. The Department maintains approximately 615 centerline miles of County roadway, including 464 paved miles, 151 unpaved miles, 124 bridges, and thousands of associated drainage, safety, and roadside infrastructure assets. In addition, the Department operates and maintains Lampson Field Airport, which serves as the county’s only public aviation facility supporting medical transport, emergency response, business activity, and general aviation services within Lake County.
The Department manages this transportation system through a combination of routine maintenance activities, pavement preservation work, rehabilitation/repair projects, airport infrastructure improvements, and other major capital improvement projects. The transportation work program is carried out through two primary project delivery methods:
• County Road Crew Operations - including pavement preservation projects (such as chip seal work), routine roadway maintenance and repairs, and short-span bridge rehabilitation performed by County forces; and
• Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) - including larger roadway, bridge, sidewalk, and airport improvement projects delivered through engineering design and construction contracts administered by County staff.
The attached presentation provides an overview of transportation capital and pavement preservation projects planned for calendar year 2026, as well as the Department’s anticipated transportation program for the five-year period of 2027 through 2031. While the presentation focuses on larger-scale transportation infrastructure projects, it also provides background information regarding the County-maintained road network such as pavement conditions, available funding sources, staffing considerations, and more.
The 2026 transportation work program includes both pavement preservation activities and major capital improvement projects. Planned County road crew work for 2026 includes approximately 35 miles of chip seal pavement preservation work in the North Lakeport and Nice areas, rehabilitation of several short-span bridges, and other roadway repair work. Capital projects anticipated to be under construction during 2026 include the Konocti Road Sidewalks Project, Socrates Mine Road slide repairs, Hill Road slide repairs, and South Main Street overhead utility undergrounding in preparation for subsequent roadway widening and corridor improvements.
Looking ahead, the Department has developed a preliminary five-year transportation work plan for 2027 through 2031. The road pavement preservation component of the program anticipates treatment of approximately 155 miles of roads over the five-year period, averaging approximately 31 miles per year. Current planning-level estimates place average pavement preservation costs at approximately $50,000 per mile, for a total estimated five-year program cost of approximately $7.75 million. The Department’s pavement preservation strategy continues to focus on geographically coordinated annual work areas to improve operational efficiency, reduce mobilization costs, and maximize productivity for County road crews. Work sequencing also considers planned utility improvements, prior roadway preparation efforts, staffing availability, roadway condition, and functional roadway classification.
In addition to County road crew work, the Department anticipates delivering a number of transportation capital projects through competitively bid public works construction contracts over the next five years. These projects generally involve more substantial roadway, bridge, and airport infrastructure improvements requiring engineering design, environmental review, grant coordination, and specialized contractor construction services. Planned and anticipated transportation capital projects identified in the County’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) include the aforementioned road improvements on South Main Street (and a small portion of Soda Bay Road), multiple bridge replacement and rehabilitation projects, a number of storm damage roadway slipout repairs, and various safety related projects for crosswalks and pedestrian improvements.
Important to note is that project schedules and implementation timelines are subject to future funding availability, grant awards, staffing capacity, and Board budget appropriations.
Public Works staff will provide the presentation and receive Board direction as appropriate
If not budgeted, fill in the blanks below only:
Estimated Cost: ________ Amount Budgeted: ________ Additional Requested: ________ Future Annual Cost: ________
Purchasing Considerations (check all that apply): ☒ Not applicable
☐ Fully Article X. <https://library.municode.com/ca/lake_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH2AD_ARTXPU_S2-38EXCOBI>- and/or Consultant Selection Policy <http://lcnet.co.lake.ca.us/Assets/Intranet/Policy/Policies+$!26+Procedures+Manual/Ch4_2021v2.pdf>-Compliant (describe process undertaken in “Executive Summary”)
☐ Section 2-38 <https://library.municode.com/ca/lake_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH2AD_ARTXPU_S2-38EXCOBI> Exemption from Competitive Bidding (rationale in “Executive Summary,” attach documentation, as needed)
☐ For Technology Purchases: Vetted and Supported by the Technology Governance Committee <http://lcnet.co.lake.ca.us/Assets/Intranet/Intranet+Forms/Information+Technology/AdvPlan.pdf> (“Yes,” if checked)
☐ Other (Please describe in Executive Summary)
Consistency with Vision 2028 <http://www.lakecountyca.gov/Government/Directory/Administration/Visioning/Vision2028.htm> (check all that apply): ☐ Not applicable
☒ Well-being of Residents ☒ Public Safety ☒ Disaster Prevention, Preparedness, Recovery
☒ Economic Development ☒ Infrastructure ☒ County Workforce
☐ Community Collaboration ☐ Business Process Efficiency ☐ Clear Lake
Recommended Action:
Presentation only; provide direction to staff as appropriate