Caltrans' Highway 9 safety project in Felton is in its home stretch. The goal is to finish by late summer 2027, Lookout Santa Cruz reported after a community update for San Lorenzo Valley residents.
What's being built
According to Caltrans, the Felton Safety Improvement Project adds a sidewalk along the southbound side of State Route 9 from Graham Hill Road to the San Lorenzo Valley schools complex. The sidewalk will be 6 feet wide where possible and narrower where the right of way is tight. The project covers about a mile of highway and also adds bicycle safety features, according to Lookout.
Why
Caltrans says the stretch between Graham Hill Road and San Lorenzo Valley High School lacks good pedestrian facilities. There have been multiple pedestrian collisions there in the most recent five years, including two fatal ones. The project is funded through the State Highway Operation and Protection Program, with a programmed capital cost of about $8.49 million.
"It was really designed to make sure that our kids can get to and from school safely from downtown Felton," District 5 County Supervisor Monica Martinez said, according to Lookout.
Traffic now
Lookout reports that utility and shoulder work is closing one lane in various sections of Highway 9 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Caltrans told residents that winter storms could bring highway closures or around-the-clock one-way traffic control.