PWS Conveyance Project

Latest Update: March 21, 2023

All construction dates are subject to change due to weather or unforeseen circumstances. Please note that some of the repaved roadways within the project area currently have only temporary striping. Final roadway striping will be done at a later date. Thank you for your patience.

Project Contractor: Garney Construction

City of Santa Cruz

Work hours are weekdays, 6:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. 

Soquel Avenue

• At various points along Soquel Avenue crews are finalizing the installation of valve boxes by bringing them flush with the surface of the road. This work is expected to last through the first week of April. Traffic control measures will be in place while this work is being performed. Please use caution while traveling through the area.
• For approximately the next 3 weeks, construction crews will begin repaving Soquel Avenue between Frederick Street and Park Avenue.

Laurel Street Bridge

Installation of the pipeline on the north side of the bridge is currently underway and expected to be completed by March 31. While this work is underway flaggers will be directing pedestrians to use the sidewalk on the south side of the bridge. Crews have started installing architectural covers on the south side of the bridge. This work is expected to continue through the end of next week, at which point they will move to the north side of the bridge. Please watch for lane closures on the bridge during working hours.

Soquel & City of Capitola

Wharf Road in Soquel (Work hours are weekdays, 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.)

Wharf Road in Capitola (Work hours are weekdays, 8:00 a.m.–5 p.m.)

Pipeline installation is currently underway on Wharf Road, just south of Highway 1, and is tentatively scheduled to be completed by March 29. During construction, Wharf Road will be CLOSED to vehicles from Clares Street to the Highway 1 overpass. It will be open to cyclists and pedestrians. Flaggers will provide access for residents in the closed section of the roadway. Motorists should watch for flaggers, signage, and detours and are advised to use alternate routes during this time. Once work along Wharf Road is completed crews will begin night work in the Porter Street and Main Street intersection

Rosedale Avenue (Work hours are weekdays, 7:30 am–5:30 pm)

Kennedy Drive (Work hours are weekdays, 8:00 am–5 pm)

Construction is underway on the jack and bore pits at Rosedale Avenue and Kennedy Drive and is expected to continue for another week. Crews are installing pipeline under Highway 1 at Rosedale Avenue. To do this without disrupting highway traffic, a deep launch pit at the Rosedale Avenue cul de sac, north of the highway was dug, along with a reception pit on the south side at Kennedy Drive. Crews are expected to finish work on the Rosedale side this week. Once completed they will move to the Kennedy side to complete the tie-in and backfill the pit. During this time residents and businesses in the area should use extra caution and watch for crews and equipment.

Safety Reminders:

Motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians will encounter traffic controls. Be aware of signage, flaggers, detours, and changes to lane configurations.  

• Follow all traffic controls and designated detours, and do NOT pass-through Road Closed signage; consider using alternate routes.  
• Use extra caution when on any roads in the vicinity of the construction activity and watch for turn restrictions, equipment, and work crews.
• Access to some side streets may be temporarily impacted during construction. 
• There may be construction equipment or vehicles parked on side streets—please be aware of temporary “No Parking” signs. 
• Please watch for work crews and equipment and be prepared for traffic delays—allow additional time to get to your destination. 
• Some roadways may be temporarily uneven or rough. 
• If there are questions about this work, please call (831) 475-8501 ext. 148.

Project Summary:

Contractors for Soquel Creek Water District are installing about eight miles of pipeline under various streets between Santa Cruz and Aptos. These pipelines will carry water to and from the Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility to the Chanticleer Water Purification Center (to be built) in the Live Oak area. Then purified water from the Water Purification Center will be conveyed to three Seawater Intrusion Prevention (SWIP) wells, where it will recharge the groundwater basin. 

Construction will not be taking place on all streets along the pipeline route simultaneously. It will be a moving work zone, progressing up to several hundred feet per day. Work within a particular area could last for one-to-two weeks or more as construction crews move along the pipeline route. 

In most cases, the work will consist of excavating through the asphalt street surface, preparing the area for the pipelines, delivering and laying the pipes and associated equipment, then backfilling and temporarily patching of the street (to be resurfaced later). This work will require trucks, backhoes, excavators, and other equipment, with traffic control work crews on-site. In some areas, the pipeline will go across bridges where it will be affixed to the bridge structure. The work will require lane closures and short detours and in some cases may require temporary complete closure of a segment of the street.