How to resolve AdBlock issue? CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Clearlake city officials, service organizations and community members gathered on Friday afternoon to celebrate the completion of the first new road construction in nearly four decades, which is meant to increase safety and traffic flow in the city.
About 50 people gathered for the Dam Road Extension ribbon cutting, which was held at the road’s intersection with South Center Drive near the Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College on Friday afternoon.
Work on the new road began over the summer. It features bike lanes, curbs, guardrail and storm drainage.
It offer access to schools and shopping, and connects the Avenues neighborhood to Dam Road, officials said.
“This is exciting, to have a new road opening,” said Clearlake Mayor Bruno Sabatier.
He said the road building project proves change is happening in the city.
City Manager Greg Folsom said Dam Road Extension, at $1.2 million, is the second large road project the city has completed in two years. Last year, it completed $2.2 million in work on 18th and Phillips Avenue.
“This city has not seen projects like this in its entire history, so I think we have a lot to be proud of today,” he said.
He said the project had been kicked around for about 10 years. However, it became a priority after the 2016 Clayton fire, when he said city officials realized that there were not enough exit routes from the Avenues area – also known as the Chapman Tract – of the city.
Folsom thanked the Clearlake City Council for making the new road a priority, the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce for its support, the city’s Public Works Department team, Dana Moore of Konocti Unified School District, Green Valley Consulting Engineers and Granite Construction, which did the work.
The new Dam Road Extension is the latest in a series of road-related projects – including grading, striping and paving – taking place across Clearlake, where roads have been a key concern for residents.
Much of that roadwork is being funded by the city’s Measure V road sales tax, but city officials said the Dam Road Extension project is paid for by the City’s Series A Redevelopment Bond fund.
Folsom told Lake County News that the new Dam Road Extension is expected to be the last big city project for this year’s construction season.
The city has a number of projects in the design phase on target for next year, he said, including improvements for city parks and the civic center on Olympic Drive.
The event ended with Clearlake Police units and a classic Thunderbird taking off to drive the new road.
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