This letter to the editor is from Lisa Rheinheimer, executive director of the Council of San Benito County Governments:
I am writing this letter on behalf of the Council of Governments (COG) regarding the recent editorial concerning the timing of construction on the Highway 25 Bypass project at Airline Highway and Sunnyslope Road. COG is happy to report that the contractor's schedule is such that the detour will start after the motorcycle rally and finish just before school starts - a good window that helps us avoid some of the busier traffic times in this heavily traveled area.
Every infrastructure construction project requires extensive work and, often, coordination among several agencies and utilities. In the case of the Highway 25 Bypass, people would likely be surprised to learn just how many utilities (electric, telephone, cable, water, sewer, etc.) are located near and under the roadway, particularly in the Sunnyslope Road/Airline Highway area. A tremendous amount of coordination must occur between the contractor and utilities during construction.
COG and its partners considered the impact that the upcoming detour might have on residents and visitors during the rally. Avoiding major impacts to the community and the efficient use of taxpayer dollars are both COG goals on the project. COG must be very careful about incurring costly delay damages imposed by the contract between COG and the contractor. Had COG instructed the contractor to delay the work until after the rally COG, would likely be responsible for paying delay damages to the contractor for lost work time.
The project is continuing on schedule and we look forward to an opening this fall. The community will be invited to join us for pre-opening festivities sometime in October. For up-to-date information on the project, visit www.Highway25Bypass.com.
Although the Hollister Free Lance does not have any obligation to monitor this board, the Hollister Free Lance reserves the right at all times to check this board and to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to the Hollister Free Lance in our sole discretion and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. The Hollister Free Lance also reserves the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions. All threats to systems or site infrastructure shall be assumed genuine in nature and will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. Submission of any comments will be considered permission to use online or in print.
