Civil Engineering

Projects

VRPA staff served as structural/roadway design lead for the replacement of three existing structurally deficient bridges through the Federal Highway Bridge Program, the first ever "in-house” bridge designs performed by Tulare County including design of two multi-cell box culverts and a three-span cast-in-place reinforced concrete flat slab bridge on CISS piles. Staff developed funding applications and secured project funding, prepared Structure Type Selection Reports and performed coordination with Caltrans Structures Local Assistance and District 6 Local Assistance Engineers (including environmental staff) to clear the Preliminary Engineering phase of the Project. VRPA led all team coordination of subdisciplines including hydraulics, geotechnical, environmental, and structural engineering (independent QC review) groups to deliver bridge and roadway PS&E, and managed staff responsible for structural calculations, plan/detail development, and project estimating. During construction, staff reviewed/responded to all Contractor submittals and RFI’s and assisted the County’s Resident Engineer with contractor coordination and structural inspections.

In March 2023, Tulare County was in the direct path of several atmospheric rivers, causing substantial and widespread damage to the County’s bridge and road network. Over 220 locations were identified as needing repairs through either FEMA or FHWA emergency response programs. The County had over 50 bridges that were closed to through traffic due to either structural damage or complete washout of the adjacent approach roadways. VRPA staff led all County performed field inspection and design efforts for roadway reconstruction including replacement of washed out (small and large diameter) culverts and design of temporary bridges (preparation of PS&E) in addition to managing several consultant supported designs (temporary bridges and retaining structures in areas heavily affected by road washouts). By 2024, the County had advertised over 20 Emergency Projects totaling more than $30 million in repairs. During this effort, VRPA staff helped prepare project applications and FEMA documentation/forms and coordinated with FEMA/Cal OES and County Emergency Response representatives.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority and project designer Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (Stantec) are currently working to advance design and finalize the approximately 33.9-mile Merced to Madera project configuration footprint. These critical steps will move the sections closer to construction, with the goal of electrified high-speed trains running between Merced and Bakersfield between 2030 and 2033. VRPA, under Stantec’s direction, is assisting with irrigation district, agency, and utility owner relocation design reviews and coordination. Additionally, public outreach services for this project are being led by VRPA, in coordination with Stantec, and California High-Speed Rail Authority staff. VRPA’s civil engineering involvement on this project includes the following:
- Performing Quality Control reviews of preliminary crossing designs for various irrigation districts, agencies, and utility owners
- Communicating with various irrigation districts, agencies, and utility owners to ensure their requirements and standards are incorporated into all utility relocation design packages
Image Source: California High-Speed Rail Authority