Editor:
It is a very sad and shameful story about Hansen’s Truck Stop (“Empire Falters,” Dec. 2). To me it is just another part of a vanishing America that we all have come to rely on, which includes a good meal and a fair deal.
I bet if Hansen’s was on I-5 or some other modern-day highway, we would have to endure the visual pollution and generic who-knows-what kind of unhealthy food and poor service from the chain restaurants.
If Caltrans treated Charlie Hansen like this,what can we expect from them at Richardson Grove, farther south. Shame on you, Caltrans.
Robert Godwin, Shelter Cove
This article appears in The $10 Million Dash.
Apples to oranges? The only thing the Alton interchange has in common with Richardson Grove is that Caltrans is improving the highway. How many more people needed to die while Hanson held out for more money for two acres of land he had polluted with toxic waste?
The way I heard it, from an old time Fortuna resident, is the land Caltrans needed had previously been home to an un-permitted junk yard, and was polluted with oil and other automotive fluids. With that in mind the offer from Caltrans seems VERY generous.
So, try again to sneak in a swipe at Caltrans for Richardson Grove. That is the REAL reason for this letter, right?
Try again? Sneak in a swipe?
http://saverichardsongrove.blogspot.com/2010/05/caltrans-bypasses-questions.html
Sure isn’t very hard…
Hey Musky, how about the rest of the story?
CalTrans learns from Confusion Hill experience
Willits News, The (CA) – Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Author: Linda Williams/TWN Staff Writer
CalTrans learned lessons from its experience during the construction of the Confusion Hill project, which have already paid dividends, says CalTrans District 1 Construction Manager Terry Davis.
Davis had oversight of the Confusion Hill projects and will have oversight of the Willits bypass project as well.
Davis, being cautious due to the ongoing litigation between CalTrans, the contractor, and the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board over the Confusion Hill project, says most of the violations alleged by the water board occurred in the early days of the Confusion Hill job. Once CalTrans was aware of the issues raised by the board, the agency took immediate actions to remedy them.
One of the key issues, says Davis, was that a number of the permit conditions were subject to interpretation and were different than those implemented on prior jobs. Now CalTrans meets early with the resource agencies, such as the water board, to ensure each agency has a consistent understanding of the conditions long before construction begins, says Davis.
Davis cites two more recent projects he says utilized this new process with substantial success the $43.5 million Ten Mile River bridge replacement and the Mad River Bridge replacement between Arcata and McKinleyville.
While the Ten Mile bridge replacement project has had one water board notice of violation for improper disposal of concrete grindings issued in May 2009, it is a far cry from the nearly 150 violations allegedly committed during the Confusion Hill project.
When asked why he expected the construction of the Willits bypass project to have a different outcome than the Confusion Hill project, Davis said CalTrans now holds a pre-bid meeting between the resource agencies and the bidders to clarify expectations during construction, ensuring bidders understand the permit conditions before they bid. Once CalTrans awards the bids, the contractor will be required to meet again with the agencies to verify permit conditions before the construction begins in the field.
While acknowledging the tone and words contained in the Confusion Hill complaint were “pretty damning,” says Davis, “there was no significant environmental degradation caused by the project and the environment was not harmed.”
On the Willits bypass project, CalTrans will have a resident engineer at the site along with onsite inspectors, and will conduct its own permit compliance checks to help the resident engineer ensure permit conditions are met, says Davis.
Davis acknowledged CalTrans has the authority and the responsibility to make sure the contractor complies with all permit conditions.
hey 10:24, do you really think Caltrans would admit to improper handling of a multimillion dollar project? The only substance in the article you pasted is that there are even more complaints about their overall 101 widening than just locally.
Muskrat your a candle that sheds no light. Richardson Grove is a small project that has no relevence to Charlie Hansens fight with the Alton Interchange.