California 12, June 4, 2023

McCullough Construction Replacing Swift Creek Bridge

By Irwin Rapoport CEG CORRESPONDENT

Crews from McCullough Construction Inc. are eager to complete the California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) $14 million replacement of the Swift Creek Bridge on State Route 3 in Trinity County, a project that is 90 percent complete. The work is anticipated to be complete in late spring or summer.

The initiative is replacing the existing bridge, a 168-ft. long, two-span, reinforced concrete T-girder bridge with seat type abutments and a pier wall supported on spread footings with one-lane in each direction.

The work is taking place approximately 1 mi. south of Trinity Center, to a halfmile north of Trinity Center along SR 3.

The original bridge was constructed in 1957. The new structure is a two-span, precast/prestressed, wide flange concrete girder bridge with the same number of lanes and two standard 8-ft. wide shoulders. California ST-70S bridge rail that is see through and side mounted is being installed.

General roadway paving improvements along the route are being executed: standard width 8-ft.-wide shoulders; increased horizontal curve radius from 350 ft. to 587 ft.; and a raised roadway profile.

see SWIFT page 10

McCullough Construction is replacing the Swift Creek Bridge on State Route 3 in Trinity County, a structure that was originally constructed in 1957.

The Swift Creek Bridge is being replaced because the old bridge was originally built in 1957 and endured decades of freeze-thaw wear and tear.

Golden State Warriors Give Consturction Business Lift

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) In a red hooded sweatshirt, hard hat and a pair of well-loved work boots, LaSonia Mansfield heads out alongside her daughter and forewoman, Deja Stocks, to survey the expansive construction site she is responsible for keeping safe and clean.

For the next hour, they methodically check various spots as workers go about their days. There’s action everywhere around them, including a crane in the distance bringing down loads of heavy materials.

When Mansfield lost her mother more than 10 years ago, she realized it was time to make a choice that would build her future — and, now, she thanks the Golden State Warriors for supporting her through a major career change.

“I knew I was going to be an entrepreneur, I’ve had dreams of a two-piece suit and a briefcase for years,” said Mansfield, who typically oversees the operation from her office. “I was just looking at all the construction going up and we

clean well, but I never knew the business of construction, so I started researching it and found out I needed a contractor’s license and I just jumped in with two feet.”

Once a nurse inside San Quentin State Prison who always cleaned on the side, the 58-year-old Mansfield has discovered a new professional calling in midlife. She walked away from nursing and decided to take a leap into the predominantly male field of construction cleanup. As a Black woman starting fresh, that proved a daunting venture.

That’s where the Warriors are involved.

Mansfield developed confidence and learned the necessary skills through the organization's Franchise Fund, an educational program for minority-owned small businesses. In January, the program was recognized with the NBA’s Inclusion Innovation Award. Franchise Fund has helped nearly 60 businesses get off the ground and certified in the first three years of giving out four-month grants.

“LaSonia’s story is the perfect example of what we consider success from this program,'” Warriors President and COO Brandon Schneider said. “She was eager to grow her business and was given the tools to do so through Franchise Fund.”

The Warriors have helped train more than 57 businesses — 53 percent of those owned by women — that employ nearly 600 people in the Bay Area.

“One of the most unique things about the program is it has benefited people at every stage of their business experience, whether you’re someone who’s just starting out their accounting business, which we’ve worked with or someone that works in design or architecture,” said Yoyo Chan, Warriors senior vice president of government and community relations. “It really ranges and I think everyone’s found value from it.”

Cecilio Mills is one. He’s part of a third-year Franchise Fund cohort about to graduate. Mills began a project management consulting

firm 12 years ago in Oakland working with large and mid-size organizations that has trained more than 1,900 people. The 40-year-old Mills, a former college baseball player, boxer and teacher with a business background who has worked with Special Olympics, appreciates the Warriors’ connections to the city even after moving into their San Francisco arena at Chase Center in 2019.

“Although it’s still the Bay Area, there’s still enough people that kind of left a hole so to speak, so this is at least in my view a real way to say, ‘Hey, Oakland, we still love you, we still love all the bay,’” Mills said.

Both Mansfield and Mills are eager to be mentors for others.

Manfield not only has a $2.6 million, four-year contract — her largest ever — she treasures the chance to regularly work alongside her 30-year-old daughter while also employing a staff largely comprised of minority women.

Mansfield and Stocks were hired by contracting giant Webcor

for a project in south San Francisco focused on water pollution control. One woman benefiting from Mansfield's mentorship is 19-yearold Khamara McKinney. She makes sure debris on the worksite is safely disposed of and there are no unnecessary hazards. McKinney has worked here since December and has the stability of sticking with the project over the next four years.

She is learning the business on the job.

“This is actually a great site for me to come into as my first job,” McKinney said.

And after 10 years in the construction business Stocks hopes to soon have enough money saved for a down payment on her first home.

“The biggest word that comes to mind is opportunity,” Stocks said. “As long as we have contracts, I have the opportunity to work consistently. One of my goals is to close out on a home. This is the closest I've ever been to that opportunity.” 

Caltrans photo

The SMART train railroad crossing on Hwy 37 was repaired just east of Hwy 121.

Caltrans photo

An 11-mi. section of Highway 37 was closed between Walnut Avenue in Vallejo and Highway 121 (Arnold Drive) near Sears Point in Sonoma County to allow SMART’s contractor to replace railroad tracks.

Caltrans photo

The subgrade below the tracks proved less challenging than anticipated, which saved hours of work and allowed Caltrans to reopen the highway much earlier than expected.

Caltrans photo

AGC of California, Teichert Hold Mental Awareness Event

On May 19, the Associated General Contractors of California (AGC of California), along with Teichert Inc., Operating Engineers Local 3 and Loyalty Point Leadership, held a Mental Health Awareness Stand Down to call on the construction industry to recognize the importance of mental health for worker’s safety and well-being.

“Our workforce is experiencing some of the highest rates of mental health issues, including substance misuse disorders and suicide, of any industry,” said Peter Tateishi, AGC of California chief executive officer. “AGC of California and our members can play a vital role in initiating the conversation about the importance of mental health at work and we offer resources for employers and workers about how to incorporate wellness of the whole worker into our daily safe-

ty routines.”

The stand down took place at the San Benito Route 156 Improvement Project in San Juan Bautista, Calif., in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month. Teichert halted construction for one hour as speakers explained how to recognize the signs and symptoms of substance abuse and mental health disorders and what resources are available for help.

“Our safety program was established by Henry Teichert in 1959, 11 years before OSHA was founded and we are committed to our tradition of building trust with our customers, our employees and the broader community that is a stakeholder in everything we do,” said Mary Teichert, president of Teichert, a Sacramento-based construction company founded in 1887. “We are continuing to expand and deepen the array of training and support we have for mental health in our ranks and are honored to be part of our industry’s efforts to develop and communicate a richer body of knowledge in this area than was historically available.”

AGC of California’s complete toolkit and tutorial, available online, is for construction employers to educate employees about the importance of mental health. The free toolkit includes talking points to encourage any employee to reach out for help if they are suffering from issues related to substance abuse, suicidal ideation, depression and other mental health concerns. It also is designed to help employers identify and convey support resources (such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis

Lifeline — just dial 988) and company-specific plans, such as employee assistance programs.

“Mental health is something that can affect everyone and it is important to keep a happy, healthy mind and body,” said Neils Ash, Operating Engineers Local Union 3 district representative of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties, who noted the organization has a free, confidential assistance and recovery program for members and their families. Operating Engineers Local 3 represents 40,000 members in California, Nevada, Utah and Hawaii.

AGC of California held the stand down to inspire construction companies to initiate their own Mental Health Awareness Stand Downs. AGC of California’s toolkit includes suggestions on how companies can host their own successful stand downs to support employees suffering from distress.

For more information, visit www.agc-ca.org/sites/mentalhealth-initiative/

About San Benito Route 156 Improvement Project

The San Benito Route 156 Improvement Project will construct approximately 5 new mi. of four-lane at-grade expressway from the Alameda in San Juan Bautista, Calif., to Business Route 156 near Hollister, Calif. San Benito Route 156 provides a key east-west link between the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista, as well as the Central Coast and the Central Valley. The project will reduce peak hour traffic congestion and save millions in vehicle operating and accident costs. 

Gov. Approves Numerous Climate-Ready Coastal Projects

Vice President Harris announced that the Department of Commerce has recommended $60.3 million for projects across northern California to make communities and the economy resilient to climate change, as part of the Investing in America agenda. Across northern California, 13 projects will create jobs and boost economic and environmental outcomes for coastal communities. The awards are made under the Biden Administration’s Climate-Ready Coasts initiative funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) with additional funds leveraged from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Administered by the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Climate-Ready Coasts initiative is focused on investing in high-impact projects that create climate solutions by storing carbon; build resilience to coastal hazards such as extreme weather events, pollution and marine debris; restore coastal habitats that help wildlife and humans thrive; build the capacity of underserved communities and support community-driven restoration; and provide employment opportunities.

“These projects will not only advance floodplain and wetland habitat restoration

and protection efforts across northern California, but also greatly strengthen our climate resilience throughout local communities, benefitting the wider ecosystem as a whole,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “NOAA is proud to recommend these projects to help coastal communities invest in their future and build resilience to the impacts of climate change.”

These projects are part of NOAA’s nearly $6 billion total investment under BIL and IRA. Recommended projects and funding amounts in northern California include:

High-Impact, Large Marine Debris Removal

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation: $14.9 Million

This project will remove large marine debris from five national marine sanctuaries and two Tribal ancestral waters located off the coast of California, including Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, in partnership with California State Parks.

Lower Russian Watershed Coho Habitat Restoration Project; Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District: $8.4 Million

This investment will enhance stream connectivity, improve wetlands and remove

stream barriers to fish, which will help reduce flooding in surrounding communities, which have become more frequently inundated as the region’s precipitation comes in larger, less predictable storm events. The wetland and floodplain restoration will take place at seven sites in two high-priority tributaries in the lower Russian River watershed.

Mendocino Coast Transformational Habitat Restoration; The Nature Conservancy: $8.3 Million

This investment will restore high-priority habitat on three rivers in coastal Mendocino County. These landscape-scale actions will benefit listed salmon through the restoration of floodplain habitat and function by increasing instream complexity across several sites. Improved floodplain water storage capacity will help buffer downstream communities from the impacts of climate change and extreme weather. Employment opportunities for local underserved communities and engagement with local tribes are also a focus for the project.

Prairie Creek Floodplain Restoration Project Phase 4; California State Coastal Conservancy: $7 Million

The investment will support recovery of key salmon species and will provide an

opportunity for the Yurok Tribe to implement restoration efforts on their ancestral lands in Humboldt County. Restoration will strengthen the resilience of both salmon and local communities to climate change by helping maintain cool stream temperatures in a warming climate and reducing flooding. This project builds on several years of continuous effort and magnifies the total project impact by restoring and enhancing streams, wetlands and other habitat and connecting to a new channel constructed during a previous phase. This project also will identify future floodplain reconnection opportunities and develop conceptual designs for the top three. Restoring Rearing Habitat for Juvenile Coho Salmon, Smith River; Smith River Alliance: $5.4 Million

This investment will restore habitat in the Smith River watershed to support one of the largest runs of salmon and steelhead in California. This work will also help improve the climate resilience of local communities. As part of the project, an existing bridge will be relocated and replaced with a new structure that will withstand stronger storms, which will help improve the resilience of Del Norte County against future flood and wildfire risk that may become more extreme in a changing climate. 

AGC of California photo

The stand down took place at the San Benito Route 156 Improvement Project in San Juan Bautista, Calif., in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month.

Gov. Newsom Proposes Efforts to Speed Up More Projects

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced an effort to save money and speed up the amount of time it takes to finish transportation, environmental and other infrastructure projects across California.

The governor said he has introduced nearly a dozen proposals he said would cut down on paperwork and the process to receive approval permits. He also said the effort would limit the amount of time infrastructure work is caught up in court over environmental lawsuits to no more than nine months. Newsom also signed an executive order that directs some members of his cabinet to pick projects that should be fasttracked.

The legislative package and executive order build on Newsom's vow earlier this year to change a law called the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The law requires agencies to evaluate and disclose significant environmental effects of projects and find ways to lessen those impacts.

Newsom and other critics said the 1970s law has been used to block anything from new apartments, bike lanes, California’s High Speed Rail and water projects.

“We’re not looking to roll anybody over,” Newsom said at the announcement at a

future solar farm and renewable energy storage facility in Stanislaus County. “We’re not looking to roll over local communities. We’re not looking to roll over environmental stewardship.”

Sports stadiums have been able to bypass CEQA’s hurdles to be quickly constructed, including the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento and SoFi Stadium in Southern California. Newsom said he’s trying to use similar strategies to transportation and climate work.

“I love sports,” the governer said. “I take a backseat to nobody on sports, but I also love roads; I love transit; I love bridges; I love clean energy projects. It’s not just about stadiums and we’ve proven we can get it done for stadiums, so why the hell can’t we translate that to all of these other projects?”

Newsom noted he wants to pick up the pace on efforts to expand access to broadband internet, the construction of a reservoir in Northern California and other projects that have been proposed, but are waiting for permits to begin construction.

Housing was left out of the governor’s proposal because Newsom’s administration said climate and infrastructure projects are eligible for federal money. Speeding up the timeline on those projects makes them more

competitive for funds.

Newsom noted some parts of his plan could have benefits to housing construction and said several other efforts are under way

line permitting and establish a green bank financing program to leverage federal money for climate projects.

Republican lawmakers said they were cautiously optimistic.

“I hope he’s serious about this because if he is, Central California, the state as a whole is going to see some improvements,” said Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno.

The governor is proposing to pass the set of proposals through the state’s budget process, which would speed up the timeline, but have a less thorough public review process than what typical policy proposals go through at the state capitol. If successful, the Legislature would pass his plan this month and the new rules would take effect immediately.

in the Legislature to speed up housing production.

Newsom’s administration recently filed 11 bills that are referred to as “budget trailer bills” to map out the plan. Specifically, Newsom's office said the bills would streamline the construction procurement process, authorize an expedited judicial review to avoid delays from legal challenges, stream-

Restore the Delta, an advocacy group that is opposed to the Delta tunnel project, released a statement recently lambasting the governor.

“Governor Newsom does not respect the people in communities that need environmental protection," said Barbara BarriganParrilla, the group’s executive director. “We have never been more disappointed in a California Governor than we are with Governor Newsom. We have repeatedly given him the benefit of the doubt.” 

The bills would streamline the construction procurement process, authorize an expedited judicial review to avoid delays from legal challenges...

Crews Replacing Bridge Due to Freeze-Thaw Damages

The old bridge is being replaced with a new bridge, on a new alignment. Additionally, a bottomless large arched steel culvert was placed to improve fish passage at Rancheria Creek.

“There is currently some minor change order work involving some of the guardrail and culvert installation,” said William Barnes, Caltrans project engineer. “This should be a short duration, while the weather is good. At this time, the main ‘plan of attack’ is to demolish the old bridge, clean up and be done. Due to permitting restrictions in Swift Creek, as well as some internal issues, we do not anticipate beginning the demolition until mid-August. Conclusion of the demolition, and the project, should occur prior to midOctober.”

Barnes discussed some of the challenges that have impacted the bridge replacement.

“There are always challenges,” he said, “or Caltrans wouldn’t hire engineers to administer the contracts. This project had some delays caused by the need for utility relocations, some environmental restrictions, and the need to respond during the wildfires. Our plan was to have completed the demolition and been done last winter, however due to delays in getting fiber optic lines moved from the old to new bridge, and the wetter earlier and heavier weather we had this past winter, we were unable to get it done.

“Our permits only allow work within the Swift Creek channel when flows are low, and without approval, only between June 15 and October 15,” he added. “We had an exception to go until Nov. 15 last year, since flows were low. This year, flows are expected to be higher, which is also part of the reason that we are waiting until August to begin the demolition.”

Aside from the challenges that were pointed out, Barnes stated: “I can’t really think of anything out of the ordinary [that was a challenge] on this project.”

Equipment utilized for the construction includes cranes, excavators, dozers, loaders, rollers, pavers and other standard equipment. McCullough purchases and rents equipment from local and regional dealerships.

Peak construction periods has a considerable number of McCullough and subcontractor employees on-site.

“The Swift Creek Bridge is being replaced because the old bridge was originally built in 1957 and endured decades of freeze-thaw wear and tear,” said Kurt Villavicencio, public information officer, Caltrans District 2. “Inspections over the years showed significant deterioration on the deck, abutment, piers and wingwalls. This project is about a decade in

the making and pivotal to keeping the traffic moving along the State Route 3 Weaverville to Yreka Corridor. These types of bridges play an instrumental part in keeping our communities connected.

“SR-3 serves as a minor arterial at this location,” he added. “This highway section carries local, recreational, and commercial traffic in the North Trinity Lake resort area and connects northern Trinity County and Siskiyou County to Weaverville. Route 3 is a USFS Designated Scenic Byway adjacent to Shasta-Trinity USFS lands. This bridge and section of highway serve as a critical link to the local system.”

A new bridge is needed.

“The existing bridge deck has a history of freeze-thaw damage,” said Villavicencio. “The deck was replaced in 1986 and it was recommended to be replaced again based on the 2005 bridge inspection report from Caltrans Structure Maintenance & Investigations [SM&I]. It was determined that the deck replacement would not be cost effective.”

On a daily basis, the bridge carries 526 cars and trucks.  CEG

(All photos courtesy of McCullough Construction.)

This project had some delays caused by the need for utility relocations, some environmental restrictions and the need to respond during the wildfires.

The initiative is replacing the existing bridge, a 168-ft. long, two-span, reinforced concrete T-girder bridge with seat type abutments and a pier wall supported on spread footings with one-lane in each direction.

As part of the project, general roadway paving improvements along the route are being executed, including standard width 8-ft.-wide shoulders; increased horizontal curve radius from 350 ft. to 587 ft.; and a raised roadway profile.

A bottomless large arched steel culvert was placed to improve fish passage at Rancheria Creek.

SWIFT from page 1

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Applied Materials Plans to Build $4B Project Near HQ

Applied Materials Inc. is planning to spend as much as $4 billion on a new research-and-development center near its California headquarters, embarking on a now-rare building project in the heart of Silicon Valley.

The EPIC Center, located on an existing Applied Materials campus in Sunnyvale, will be the industry’s biggest R&D facility dedicated to semiconductor equipment and processes, the company said recently. Applied Materials is the largest seller of chipmaking gear and the project will let the company and its customers rapidly develop new production techniques.

Like many of the industry’s construction projects these days, the effort also is a bid to tap government funding. The U.S. Chips and Science Act, passed last year, will allocate roughly $52 billion to help revitalize domestic R&D and manufacturing and companies are angling to benefit from the windfall. Applied Materials’ ambitions with the new center will hinge on how much assistance it gets, Chief Executive Officer Gary Dickerson said in an interview.

“The scale and pace of what we do is dependent on incentives,” he said. The company chose to build in Silicon Valley — a place that’s become too costly and burdensome for most new chip facilities — because of the proximity to many companies with an interest in semiconductors, he said. Intel Corp., Nvidia Corp. and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. are all based nearby, approximately an hour’s drive south of San Francisco.

The announcement coincides with a summit of research and design executives from Applied Materials’ customers — an event that will be attended by Vice President Kamala Harris.

The new facility is designed to speed up improvements in the way that semiconductors are made, helping the chip business grow into a trillion-dollar market this decade. The EPIC Center, whose name is short for equipment and process innovation and commercialization, will let chip manufacturers try out new machinery in something close to a complete production line. That should make it faster and easier to fine-tune new production technologies. 

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