Memorandum
Date: October 6, 2026
To: The Honorable Brad Rasmussen, Chair, Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Stephen Carter, Interim Public Works Director
Presented by Scott Hornung, Deputy Public Works Director - Engineering & Capital Projects
Subject: A) Consideration of Update on the South Main Street and Soda Bay Road Corridor Improvement Project; and B) Consideration of Plans and Specifications for the South Main Street and Soda Bay Road Corridor Improvement Project, and Authorize the Public Works Director to Advertise for Bids
Executive Summary:
The Public Works Department is nearing completion of the pre-construction efforts for Phase 1 of the South Main Street and Soda Bay Road Corridor Improvement Project and requests authorization to advertise the project for construction bids.
The overall project (collectively Phase 1 and Phase 2) extends approximately 1.25 miles, from the Lakeport city limits along South Main Street to the intersection with State Highway 175 and Soda Bay Road, then south on Soda Bay Road toward Manning Creek. The project will reconstruct and widen the roadway with two 12-foot travel lanes, a continuous 12-foot center turn lane, and 8-foot paved shoulders/Class II bicycle lanes; improve drainage; install water infrastructure; and relocate existing overhead utilities underground.
Phase 1 includes the full length of South Main Street within the project limits and a short portion of Soda Bay Road immediately south of the intersection with State Highway 175. The remaining Soda Bay Road improvements will require a future phase as additional funding becomes available.
Phase 1 includes three major infrastructure components:
|
Component |
Current Estimate |
Funding Responsibility |
County roadway and drainage improvements |
|
|
Underground dry utility joint trench |
|
|
|
|
County & City of Lakeport |
The roadway project is supported by local, state, and federal transportation funding, most significantly by allocations from the California Transportation Commission. Utility undergrounding costs will be shared among the participating utilities. Water and associated sewer improvements will be funded through a combination of County capital project funding and City of Lakeport contributions.
Project Background
Planning for improvements to the corridor dates to 1993, when the County and the City of Lakeport entered into an agreement to coordinate improvement standards for South Main Street. In 2001, the County established the South Main Street-Soda Bay Road Underground Utility District. South Main Street and Soda Bay Road were subsequently advanced as separate rehabilitation projects before evolving into the comprehensive corridor project. A 2011 final design report also identified a funding shortfall and contemplated phased construction in line with what is being delivered now. Water infrastructure improvements within the corridor have been a significant planning effort by both the County and the City of Lakeport for well over a decade, dating back to at least 2012.
Over time, these projects evolved into a comprehensive corridor improvement project addressing pavement condition, traffic operations, drainage, utility undergrounding, and water infrastructure. The CEQA/NEPA environmental document was approved in 2012 and specifically contemplated all components - road improvements, overhead utility undergrounding, and waterline infrastructure. Since that time, the County has continued right-of-way acquisition, environmental and cultural-resource compliance, permitting, utility coordination, and final design. More recently, in November 2025 your Board approved a CEQA addendum that addressed updated project conditions, with Caltrans issuing a similar NEPA revalidation earlier that year.
Next Steps
In accordance with State law and County policy, Board approval of the project plans and specifications is required before advertising for construction. The plans and specifications are available for review at the Public Works Department. Following Board authorization to advertise for bids, Public Works will complete a final technical review of the plans, specifications, and cost estimate, and advertise the Phase 1 project for competitive construction bids. The current schedule anticipates bidding this fall and returning to the Board in December 2026 with the bid results and a recommendation regarding construction contract award.
It is important to note the environmental requirements established through the project's CEQA/NEPA documents and applicable regulatory permits. These include construction stormwater permitting and erosion-control planning, biological pre-construction surveys and protective buffers, a serpentine dust control plan, and cultural-resource protection measures required by the project's Memorandum of Agreement and Historic Property Treatment Plan, including protection of environmentally sensitive archaeological areas and completion of required treatment activities before affected ground disturbance occurs. Environmental compliance will continue throughout construction and will include stormwater and erosion-control best management practices; restrictions on in-water work and protection of sensitive biological resources; archaeological monitoring and procedures for unanticipated cultural-resource discoveries; dust, noise, and hazardous-material controls; and maintenance of protected environmental areas. The environmental documents also require traffic management and continued access to businesses and residences during construction, as well as certain construction activities to extend into the evening, subject to the project's noise-control requirements.
Construction will proceed in stages, beginning with the underground joint trench anticipated in spring 2027. PG&E, AT&T, Mediacom, and ADF will then install their facilities, transfer existing services, and remove conflicting overhead infrastructure. Waterline installation and roadway widening will proceed into 2028, a coordinated effort to minimize the need to cut into the road for foreseeable future utility work.
If not budgeted, fill in the blanks below only:
Estimated Cost: ________ Amount Budgeted: ________ Additional Requested: ________ Future Annual Cost: ________
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☒ Economic Development ☒ Infrastructure ☐ County Workforce
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Recommended Action: Approve the Plans and Specifications for the South Main Street and Soda Bay Road Corridor Improvement Project and Authorize the Public Works Director to Advertise for Bids.