HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmail from Radley Ott - Response Letter to Mr. Dennis VansMiddlesworth RE Hwy 162 Detour Menchaca, Clarissa
From: Ott, Radley
Sent: Thursday, August 2, 2018 8:01 PM
To: Connelly, Bill; Kirk, Maureen; Lambert, Steve; Teeter, Doug;Wahl, Larry
Cc: Clerk of the Board; McCracken, Shari; Schmidt, Dennis; Hatcher, Casey
Subject: Public Works Respose to letter from D VanMiddlesworth; 162 bypass schedule
Attachments: BCPW-LetterToBOS_DVanmiddlesworth-162BypassSchedule_2018-07-24.pdf; Letter
from Dennis VanMiddlesworth - Closure of Highway 162.pdf
Hello Supervisors and Clerk of the Board,
Please see attached response from the Department of Public Works to Mr. Dennis VanMiddlesworth. A hard copy is
being sent to him.
Thank you!
Radley
Radley Ott
Assistant Director
Butte County Public Works
Office: (530) 538-7681 I Mobile: (530) 854-0029
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1
Department of Public Works Dennis Schmidt, Director
Q v ; Radley Ott, Assistant Director
Butte County 7 County Center Drive T: 530.538.7681 www.buttecounty.net/publicworks
Puakic WORKS Oroville, California 95965 I F: 530.538.7171
July 24, 2018
Mr. Dennis VanMiddlesworth
PO Box 375
Meadow Valley, CA 95956
RE: Response to Letter regarding Highway 162 detour and construction schedule.
Hello Mr.VanMiddlesworth,
We received your letter regarding the still active Oro Quincy Highway/ 162 detour at Mountain House,and
your concern for both the duration of the closure and evacuation planning. The County, including the
Department of Public Works is also very concerned about evacuation and evacuation planning. We agree that
the detour is less than ideal, but we are working diligently on fixing the roadway, but also updating our
evacuation plans to account for this. In Butte County,the Berry Creek area is also potentially affected by this
detour,and County officials have coordinated with the CalFire to update our evacuation plans to best prepare
for any evacuations in this area. The maps for the Berry Creek area are online at
https://www.buttecounty.net/Portals/19/EvacuationMaps/BerryCreek map.pdf
To answer your specific questions regarding roadway repair scheduling,the County has been very focused on
getting this project to construction. The Board of Supervisors just authorized the Department of Public Works
to advertise the construction project as soon as the appropriate approvals are obtained from FHWA,the
federal entity funding the project. While we still have some unknowns and pending approvals,we are
planning on being in construction in October, 2018 with work continuing as long as the weather allows us. At
this time,we are expecting that some work will need to occur next spring before a full opening can be made.
We appreciate and share your concerns regarding safety and emergency preparedness in our various
mountain communities. Thank you for your letter and I hope this answers your questions.
Sincerely,
f
Radley Ott
Assistant Direct•r, Department of Public Works
7 County Center Drive, Oroville,CA 95965
cc Butte County Board of Supervisors
Butte County Board of Supervisors,Clerk of the Board
Butte County Chief Administrative Officer
Page 1 of 1
BUTTE COUNTY
ADMINISTRATION
July 02, 2018 JUL 0 52018
Bill Connelly OROVILI.E,CALIFORNIA
Supervisor District 1
5280 Lower Wyandotte Rd
Oroville, CA, 95966
Ref: closure highway 162
Dear Mr. Connelly:
When I returned to Bucks Lake for my annual five month
residency I was alarmed to discover that into the third
season highway 162 is still closed at Mountain House!
Is the Butte County government just ignoring the issue?
Certainly the loss of access to this highway is a major
inconvenience for many of the residents and merchants
up here but my main concern at this point is safety! This
is one of only two escape routes for Bucks Lake in case
of an major emergency i.e. a forest fire. If there would
happen to be a fire blocking the highway to Quincy...how
do hundreds of people evacuate? Who is liable for any
Injuries or deaths resulting from this situation?
Please advise me as to when you expect repairs to even
be started on the highway, and the anticipated reopening!
Cordially,
Dennis G. VanMiddlesworth
PO Box 375, Meadow Valley
CA, 95956
Cc: Butte County Board of Supervisors
Butte County Counsel