The Transportation Agency for Monterey County announced in a July 10 statement that the completion of the 1.5-mile segment of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway in Del Rey Oaks could be delayed until 2027 unless utility PG&E provides TAMC with some direction sooner than later.
(The announcement adds that the current closure of the intersection of Carlton Drive and Canyon Del Rey will not be impacted.)
The problem is that a utility pole runs very close to where the project calls for a retaining wall, and TAMC has been waiting more than two months for someone at PG&E to give the agency guidance on how to best move forward without undermining the pole.
Laurie Williamson, TAMC's project manager for constructing the segment, says that every time someone from PG&E has been assigned to take a look at the issue, they say they're the wrong person for the job, and it keeps getting passed off to another.
Unless some direction is provided soon, project completion could move from fall 2026 to spring or summer 2027, due to the fact that TAMC's permit to work adjacent to the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve only allows for the work to occur between April 15 and Oct. 15.
Williamson says TAMC staff is working hard to find ways to minimize the delay—including applying for a permit amendment with the Department of Fish and Wildlife—and adds that even if there is a delay, it's not expected to imperil any of the project's funding.
(2) comments
Just another waste of money project disrupting the local community.
Your story implies the PG&E is deliberately stalling the project. My experience as a PG&E employee was agencies wait until the last minute to request assistance. In this case it appears the pole in question has a transmission line circuit (over 60,000 volts), a distribution line circuit (probably 21,000 volts) and an AT&T or Comcast communication circuit. Probably an angle pole too with a guy. What are the soil conditions? Does a geotechnical engineer need to review? Does the pole need to be relocated? If so, the CPUC may need to approve. So, as is often the case, it’s not always a simple response.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.