Salmon Creek Sandblast Waste Abatement
Located along State Route (SR) 1 at post miles 43 through 43.2 in Mendocino County south of the community of Albion and approximately 2.2 miles north of the SR 128 junction.
The purpose of the project is to remediate lead-impacted shallow soil in the State Right-of-Way and on the privately-owned parcels adjacent to the Salmon Creek Bridge. The project is needed because historic bridge painting practices resulted in elevated lead concentrations in shallow soils beneath and east of the Salmon Creek Bridge. Caltrans entered into a voluntary cleanup agreement with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) for regulatory oversight of the cleanup project.
Project Benefits
Targeted removal of lead impacted soil and site restoration.
The Project Includes
Areas where lead-impacted soils are removed would be restored by placement and contouring of imported borrow material, amendment of soils as needed, erosion control, revegetation, and wetland restoration. Revegetation would include hydroseeding, utilizing local cuttings and duff, and installation of new plants.
As part of the remediation, excavations are planned at the existing guardrail north and south of the bridge. As a result, the guardrail at all four bridge corners would be upgraded to current standards. There would be 100 to 140 feet of new guardrail at each location, including a concrete barrier transition, Midwest Guardrail System elements, and an approved end treatment. Concrete vegetation control would also be placed at all new guardrail per Caltrans standards. Single lane reversing traffic control would be required during guard rail work and the removal of lead-impacted soil adjacent to SR 1 (southwest and northeast corners of the bridge).
Improvements to Spring Grove Road and SR 1 would be required for construction equipment access to potential staging areas and the north side of Salmon Creek. The paved portion of Spring Grove Road, between SR 1 and the edge of the bluff, would be repaired and overlaid with asphalt. The downslope portion, from the edge of the bluff to the project area, would be widened by excavating the upslope of Spring Grove Road to accommodate a California Legal truck and trailer and paved with asphalt for improved traction. At the completion of construction, sections of pavement on Spring Grove Road may require rehabilitation due to impacts from construction traffic. The County would require the road to be restored to its pre-project condition or better, which would likely involve asphalt overlay and restriping.
On the south side of Salmon Creek, an existing access road near the southeast corner of the bridge would be realigned, widened, and paved with asphalt for construction access. A landing will be graded at the east end of the access road for equipment turnaround, loading and staging. It would also be necessary to build a temporary access at the southwest corner of the bridge for soil removal and restoration work west of the bridge.
Traffic control is also expected where trucks access SR 1, primarily at the south end of the bridge and north at the intersection of Spring Grove Road.
It is expected the lead contaminated soil would be transported in covered truck trailers to California-licensed Class I or II landfill facilities based on landfill acceptance criteria.
Project Schedule
Begin construction: 2026
Budget
- Construction total: $14.8 million
- Right of Way: $7.7 million
Documents
Accessibility Assistance: Caltrans makes every attempt to ensure our documents are accessible. Due to variances between assistive technologies, there may be portions of this document which are not accessible. Where documents cannot be made accessible, we are committed to providing alternative access to the content. Should you need additional assistance, please contact us at (916) 654-2852 (and/or a division contact) or visit https://dot.ca.gov/request-ada-compliant-documents.
- Access the Draft Environmental Document and Remedial Action Plan at EnviroStor (External site) under the Community Involvement tab or by following the links below.
How to get involved:
Submit comments to salmoncreek@dot.ca.gov.
Follow Caltrans District 1 on Facebook and Instagram.
Contact Information:
Project Manager
Katie Everett
(707) 684-6998
Public Information Officer (Media Inquires)
Manny Machado
(707) 496-6879, TTY 711
Last reviewed: March 2024
View of existing bridge looking east
View of existing bridge deck looking north