FORTUNA, Calif. (KIEM)-After about 3 months of construction – the Jameson Culvert Replacement Project is nearly complete – the road is open to traffic – however – intermittent single lane closures are planned for the next week or two for some finishing touches.
Fortuna Resident Ren Brownell says, it’s been a long time coming.
“This is a significantly safer route that’s why I’m really excited to have it open.
Since the beginning of June, a section of Rhonerville Road was closed to begin work on The Jameson Creek Fish Passage Improvement Project.
“I’m ecstatic that this is going to reopen,” she said.
Brownell, along with others, have had to use Fortuna Boulevard as an alternate route.
“It will definitely simplify my commute, and make it much safer,” said Brownell.
City Engineer Brendan Byrd has worked on the project since it started.
“Opening the creek is a really big hurrah moment for these types of projects but in this one certainly reestablishing the road,” he said.
Mayor Sue Long says, the road closure was an inconvenience for some, this week, the road officially re-open.
“Our citizens have been very patient the last couple weeks, they’ve been a little restless,” said Long.
What’s most exciting about the project, according to Long, tax payers won’t have to fit the bill, all due to her hard working staff.
“When we see opportunity Fortuna, they go for it and we’ve gotten millions and millions of in grants through the city, and this one here was about 3 million,” she said.
City Manager Merrit Perry says, when most people see a culvert project, the road is usually the main focus, and in this case, it’s more than the road.
“The old culvert was very steep, and it was metal pipes and had the creek moving so fast through it that fish could not swim up it,” said Perry.
The new design includes a series of low dams through a concrete culvert with a natural stream channel in between weirs which will now allow fish and other aquatic species to swim through.
“It’s an improvement for the roadway, it’s an improvement for the fish passage, it’s an improvement for the neighbors,” said City of Fortuna Council member Mike Johnson.
Rohnerville Road is, according to Councilmen Mike Johnson, is a regional roadway important to Fortuna’s commerce.
“We happy to stabilize it and bring some transportation, long term solutions to the city of Fortuna and Southern Humboldt,” he said.
