The reopening of West Alameda on October 5, 2023, is the result of a complex feat of structural and environmental engineering in order to completely rebuild a culvert system and bridge to the highest safety standards. The project began with an emergency: a collapsed section of roadway near 2530 W. Alameda Street.
Immediately after the discovery of the collapse, the City began working to not only stabilize the site of the culvert failure but also to plan, design, and build a new and improved drainage system and roadway. An expedited permitting and procurement schedule and the cooperation and efforts of the Governing Body, City employees, and contractors allowed not just repairs but a project built for the future.
The West Alameda Emergency Culvert Reconstruction Project has laid the groundwork for the future West Alameda Capital Improvement Project on that section of roadway, and Santa Feans will now utilize a bridge that spans a safer, modernized drainage system built to last.
The Challenge
The culverts beneath the road appeared to have failed because there was no outfall structure and no downstream armoring of the channel. This meant that water leaving the culverts could undercut the structure and cause erosion, which eventually led to the collapse. After the initial collapse, the remainder of the concrete culverts also failed, forcing a complete reconstruction of the culvert system and road above.
The Repairs
Construction and design contractors were engaged on the day of the failure. The design process emphasized stormwater runoff management to avoid possible future damage. As construction proceeded, change orders were expedited, resulting in savings of weeks of the usual construction process.
A Completed Project
The replacement culvert was designed and constructed for long-term stability and safety, and to meet the future needs of the improved roadway to be built during the larger West Alameda Capital Improvement Project. The culvert will not need to be redone when the road is expanded to include bike lanes and sidewalks.
Project Team
Internal team:
- Public Works Director, Acting Complete Streets Director and project leader: Regina Wheeler
- Complete Streets Project Administrator and field project leader: Mark Brooks
- Parks and Open Space River and Watershed Manager and stormwater design advisor: Zoe Isaacson
Contractor team:
- WSP, Inc. (Engineering): Ray Trujillo, PE, Vice President and bridge engineer
- GM Emulsion (Construction): Gabriel Martinez, Owner; Fred Marquez, Project Manager