“TAMC and Caltrans to Host Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony with Representatives Jimmy Panetta and Zoe Lofgren for the Spence Road Auxiliary Lane Project on December 8 in Salinas”

 

MONTEREY COUNTY – The Transportation Agency of Monterey County (TAMC) and Caltrans

District 5 will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony with US Representative Jimmy Panetta,

US Representative Zoe Lofgren, and other invited guests for the Spence Road Auxiliary Lane

project at 9 am on Friday, December 8, 2023, in the parking lot of the Eckhart Seed Company,

located at 531 Eckhardt Road, Salinas.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrates the completion of the Spence Road Auxiliary Lane,

which will provide space for trucks to safely accelerate from Spence Road onto US 101 and

provide a deceleration lane for traffic exiting to Eckhardt Road. The auxiliary lane is an initial

safety improvement in the overall “US 101 South of Salinas” project along 5.5 miles of US 101

from Airport Boulevard to Main Street in Chualar.

The celebration ceremony will feature speakers:

• US Representative Jimmy Panetta, 19 th District

• US Representative Zoe Lofgren, 18 th District

• California Senator Anna Caballero, 14 th District (invited)

• California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (invited)

• Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez, District 3

• TAMC Chair, King City Mayor Mike LeBarre

• Caltrans District 5 Director Scott Eades

• Jayne Smith, US 101 SOS Coalition/Traffic Safety Alliance

The ribbon-cutting event includes project displays, interview opportunities with subject matter

experts, and coffee and pastries for light refreshments.

News Release

The US 101 South of Salinas project is a Measure X funded project identified in the county wide

“Transportation Safety & Investment Plan” approved by Monterey County voters in 2016. Of a

total construction cost of $3,247,000; $317,000 of Measure X is leveraging $1.93 million of

State funding in addition to the $1 million federal earmark secured by Congressman Panetta

and Senator Alex Padilla from the Federal Highway Administration included in the Consolidated

Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2023 signed by President Biden.

About US 101 South of Salinas Project:

The Transportation Agency and Caltrans are working with the community to develop a set of

long-term projects to address safety issues and reduce crashes along this critical agricultural

route. The proposed projects include the reconstruction of the existing interchange at Abbott

Street, upgrades to the Chualar interchange, and a network of new frontage roads that will

eliminate the need to make left turns across the highway at uncontrolled intersections and

avoid vehicle crossings of the railroad tracks. The extension of the US 101 northbound

acceleration lane at Spence Road is part of this plan.

These improvements will provide safe access to the agriculture fields and associated

businesses, resulting in improved safety for residents, travelers, and agricultural employees

while improving traffic flow along 5.5 miles of US 101 from Airport Boulevard in Salinas to the

Main Street Overcrossing in Chualar.

US Highway 101 is the primary artery along the Central Coast and is vital to statewide

commerce. This busy corridor provides access from California’s Central Coast agricultural

operations to markets around the country and provides a link from Southern California to the

tourist destinations along the Monterey Peninsula. The project will improve traffic flow which

will also enhance existing transit service provided by Monterey-Salinas Transit to the southern

Monterey communities.

The US 101 South of Salinas project is a Measure X funded project with $30 million allocated to

it. The project is identified in the countywide “Transportation Safety & Investment Plan”

approved by Monterey County voters in 2016. The project is one of three major state highway

improvement projects allocated to receive a total of $110 million in Measure X regional funds.

News Release

The others are the State Route 68 Scenic Highway and State Route 156/Castroville Boulevard

Interchange projects.

For more information about the “US 101-South of Salinas" project, contact Doug Bilse, Principal

Engineer, at doug@tamcmonterey.org, 831-775-4413 or visit the TAMC website at:

https://www.tamcmonterey.org/us-101-south-of-salinas-project-website

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“The Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) is responsible for investing in

regional transportation projects for Monterey County residents, businesses, and visitors. The

mission of TAMC is to develop and maintain a multimodal transportation system that enhances

mobility, safety, access, environment quality and economic activities in Monterey County. For

more information visit www.tamcmonterey.org or call 831.775.0903.”