Castroville Rail Crossing Pathway & Bike/Pedestrian Bridge

TRC and our subconsultant team are developing a new bike/pedestrian multi-purpose trail and bridge project for the County of Monterey. The project will connect two neighborhoods that are separated by a Union Pacific Railroad track. School children and other residents cross the track illegally each day to reach downtown and a school, putting themselves at risk. The structure will be approximately 1400’ long and includes an additional 900 feet of pathway on each end to connect to the existing Class 1 bicycle network. A 2000-foot long extension of Class 2 bike trail was recently added to the project scope.

Key design challenges included minimizing impact on the agricultural operations on adjoining land, sensitive riparian environment, and railroad operations, and integrating the project into the multi-modal transportation infrastructure. Additional constraints include high groundwater, buried high-risk utilities in the railroad right of way, a Caltrans freeway embankment, Coastal Commission jurisdiction, site soils very susceptible to liquefaction, and agricultural land use constraints.

Preliminary engineering work included pathway alignment studies, bridge type selection studies, geotechnical investigation, and environmental considerations. A public process was conducted including preparation of computer renderings and models of the proposed alternatives. A bilingual public meeting was held to present the rendered alternatives to the residents. The overcrossing structure was chosen unanimously as the preferred alternative.

TRC completed the preliminary report and then performed the final design, including preparation of construction contract documents and preparing permit applications. Coordination with jurisdictional agencies, landowners, Caltrans, and the Union Pacific Railroad were required. Funding acquisition was performed to fund the construction. TRC also prepared the application for PUC authorization of the project and assist in negotiating the railroad agreement.

The project provides a safer access for pedestrians and bicyclists as they are able to cross over the railroad track on a new bridge.

Client

County of Monterey

Project Location

Castroville, CA