For Immediate Release: September 10, 2020
Contact: Norm Dorais, Public Works Director, (650) 286-3279, ndorais@fostercity.org
The start of construction on the much-anticipated Levee Improvements Project is slated to begin in mid-to-late October! Shimmick Construction, the contractor, will be establishing a small field office in a designated area near Sea Cloud Park next Wednesday, September 16 to handle initial on-site coordination. Equipment will be staged primarily in an area near the Sea Cloud satellite field office starting in early October. Later this month, the contractor will also start mobilization of the main site office trailers at Bridgeview Park (near Teal Street and Beach Park Boulevard).
To maintain public safety and the most efficient construction schedule, the contractor will also close a significant portion of the levee trail to the public for all uses once construction begins. Residents in the vicinity of the project can expect an increase in noise, dust, and traffic delays. Construction is anticipated to start on the southern area of the trail from approximately Rock Harbor Lane at Port Royal Drive, to Foster City Boulevard/Beach Park Boulevard (about 2.5 miles). This length of the trail will be fenced off from public access and is expected to remain in place for at least 10 to 12 months. Typically, the contractor will be actively working on several hundred linear feet at any given time within the closed-off area and will deploy additional screening in active work areas to protect the public as well as the contractor’s employees and equipment. Construction may occur at other locations within the closed levee trail area, and crews may move within the span of the closed portion of the levee as necessary to complete the work.
The trail closure is an important element of public safety during this major construction project, which includes heavy equipment, excavation, and materials. Residents and visitors are urged to observe all safety signage, and not to bypass any fencing or barricades. An update will be provided to the public as soon as an exact construction start date and trail closure date are determined.
The work in the southern area will consist of the installation of sheet pile and concrete flood wall sections, flood gates, and two small bridges to replace existing access points. Residents can expect to see heavy equipment moving soil and driving steel sheet piles into the ground, as well as trucks transporting materials and equipment to and from work sites along the closed section of levee trail. In an effort to reduce the inconvenience to nearby residents, the contractor will be using a vibratory sheet pile driving method to install the large, metal, corrugated sheets. This method generates less noise than traditional impact pile driving.
While the current schedule has the contractor starting work in the southern portion of the project, the actual areas of construction are subject to change as the project proceeds, based on overall scheduling, how quickly work advances, and other factors.
The levee improvement work will involve bringing in significant amounts of dirt fill. Depending on where work is taking place, the currently-approved routes for trucks and other large equipment are limited to the following streets:
- Highway 92
- Mariners Island Boulevard
- Edgewater Boulevard
- Port Royal Avenue
- Baffin Street
- Pitcairn Drive
- Beach Park Boulevard
- Foster City Boulevard
- East Hillsdale Boulevard
The City and contractor will make every effort to minimize disruption and keep residents informed of the work and its expected impacts as the project progresses. Foster City community members can subscribe to receive weekly construction updates, which will commence once work gets underway. For more information about this project, including an updated set of FAQs, please visit www.FosterCityLevee.org. Additional questions can also be directed to the Foster City Public Works Department at (650) 286-3270 or leveeproject@fostercity.org. Any construction-related issues may be reported to the project hotline at 1-800-213-6320.