Construction to complete the pathway along west side of Espola Road (from Mountain Road to just north of Northcrest Lane) will soon move forward. Poway City Council awarded a contract for the second phase of the Espola Road Safety Improvements project at the July 20 council meeting, with the expectation that utility work will finish in August and the pathway project will begin in September.
The Espola Road Safety Improvements project was designed to create a safe pathway for pedestrians and to enhance this stretch of Espola Road. The first phase is undergrounding utilities by SDG&E, Cox Communications and AT&T. Once this is wrapped up, SDG&E will remove overhead wires and utility poles. The City will finish the project by adding a decomposed granite pathway, new asphalt berm, grouted rock surface parkway, lodgepole fencing and retaining walls.
The initial design of the pathway was updated during the undergrounding phase of the project. Most notably was changing to a new version of lodgepole fencing that is safer in the event of a vehicle collision. Following completion of the pathway improvements, the City will also finish the annual street maintenance work that was deferred while the project was ongoing.
Traffic impacts will be reduced as much as possible and work will mainly be along the west shoulder of the road. Traffic control will be set up as needed each day and work hours will not conflict with peak traffic associated with Poway High School’s morning bell schedule.
The pathway contract was awarded to Tri-Group Construction and Development for just under $1.9 million and is expected to take six months. Tri-Group Construction recently completed the Valle Verde playground renovation and a turn-pocket extension on Poway Road.