Daytime Street Closure of O'Brien Drive (Menlo Park)

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O'Brien Drive between Adams Drive and Casey Court will be temporarily closed to through traffic on weekdays between the hours of 9am and 3pm. A detour route to Kavanaugh Drive will provide access to O'Brien Drive. All businesses in the street closure area will have continuous access to buildings and parking lots during construction.

Thank you for your patience.

Photos from the Field...Weed Abatement

Some of the 500+ goats doing annual weed abatement along Edgewood Rd.

Thank you for sending in your concerns for weed abatement. Based on your calls and emails the Right of Way in Redwood City between Linden St. and King St has been prioritized as needing critical attention. If you live in that area of Redwood City you can expect to see the weeds mowed by the end of this week. If you live in a different area along the Right of Way on the Peninsula we will be moving towards your neighborhood soon.

Thank you for your patience.

A Letter from SFPUC General Manager Ed Harrington

On behalf of SFPUC General Manager Ed Harrington, we are pleased to share the attached letter about next steps regarding the Bay Division Pipeline 5 and the oak tree in the Right of Way. Additional examination of the trees roots will take place outside of the tree avoidance area.

Construction Update

• Dewatering is continuing at the Marsh Rd. jack and bore site resulting in water along 14th Ave in North Fair Oaks.
• Pipe installation along Ivy Dr. in Menlo Park is continuing. We are now to the intersection of Ivy Dr. and Carlton Ave.
• Pipe installation is happening in North Fair Oaks, and approaching 16th Ave.
• Construction will soon begin at the west end of Edgewood Rd. near Crestview Dr. and along O’Brien Dr. in Menlo Park.

FAQ

What is the story on wildlife in the Right of Way?

There are many native species that call the Right of Way home. Most recently we have found a few nesting birds, most excitingly the White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucrus). As part of our environmental responsibility we are committed to not disturbing the nests and habitat of these birds. We are excited to have our Right of Way as part of a vibrant urban habitat for local species of all kinds including nesting birds.

In keeping with the animal theme, we are also doing our annual weed abatement along Edgewood Rd. This is an exciting time because right now we have a herd of 500 goats grazing the weeds and annual grasses in the Right of Way. This method of weed abatement saves fuel and other resources that would otherwise be expended by mowers and other machinery. Unfortunately we cannot use the goats to do residential weed abatement.

5.13.2011 - Status Update

We know that everyone wants more information about when restoration is going to begin. Unfortunately, our pipeline assessments are still in process and a timetable for fence and commercial restoration cannot be scheduled until these are complete. It is an extensive process that ensures that we will be able to deliver high quality drinking water to our 2.5 million Bay Area customers. We understand that this has been an inconvenience for everyone and we are committed to starting restoration at our first opportunity. Our blog will be updated with restoration information as soon as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience.

Construction Update:

• Dewatering is continuing at the Marsh Rd. jack and bore site resulting in water along 14th Ave in North Fair Oaks.
• Pipe installation along Ivy Dr. in Menlo Park is continuing. We are now to the intersection of Ivy Dr. and Madera Ave.
• Pipe installation is happening in North Fair Oaks, and is now crossing 14th Ave at Athone Way.
• Construction will soon begin at the west end of Edgewood Rd. near Crestview Dr. and along O’Brien Dr. in Menlo Park.

FAQ:

What is “hydroseeding”?

Part of our environmental responsibility (and state law) requires that we regrow vegetation on any undeveloped land after construction. Our department of natural resources has selected a combination of 14 different native grasses and plants to be “hydroseeded” on the Right of Way. “Hydroseeding” describes the process by which the seed combination is sprayed onto the Right of Way. This process glues the seeds to the ground to prevent them from blowing away and gives them some nutrients to help them grow. These plants were selected because they are native and drought resistant minimizing watering and maintenance and possibly providing habitat for native species.

Photos from the Field

Mountain Cascade, Inc. construction crews installing pipe on Ivy Drive in Menlo Park.

Where is all that water coming from?

As we mentioned a few weeks ago, we are tunneling underneath Marsh Road at the intersection of Bay Road to minimize traffic impacts. If you’re in the area you may have noticed a large amount of water being discharged from the site at Bay and 18th Ave. This is a process called dewatering in which we have to remove groundwater from a site to make a safe working environment for our contractors in the trenches. Water is pumped out of the hole or trench and collected in a large tank. The tank allows any sediment in the water to settle so that clear water can be safely discharged down the local storm drain. This is often a constant battle as groundwater wants to re-enter the trench. As a result, pumping day and night is required at times.

Construction update:

• Trenching is continuing along Edison near the Tot Lot and moving from 11th Ave to 18th Ave
• We are continuing to dig a boring pit on the north side of Marsh Road and are now digging a receiving pit on the south side of Marsh Rd.
• Pipeline installation is moving steadily along Ivy Dr. near Hollyburne Ave and Sevier Ave.
• We are preparing to start construction near O’Brien Dr. in Menlo Park.

FAQ:

The Right of Way needs to be mowed! When is this going to happen?

Our water system operations crews mow the Right of Way in spring and fall as part of our overall maintenance to maintain access and prevent fires and other hazards. In some instances, we use local goat herds to graze and reduce the vegetation in the Peninsula and Alameda watersheds.

We are a developing a priority mowing list to address when the crews move to the Right of Way through residential communities on the peninsula. Currently the crews are working closer to Hwy 280. If you have concerns, please let us know so we can add specific areas to the queue.