Soledad residents share frustration over Front Street stormwater runoff project

Commuters in and out of Soledad’s Front Street exit have seen better days in regards to traffic.

Residents in the area are saying the city’s storm water regional recharge project is what’s slowing things

down.

Residents were concerned about the progress and how much traffic the storm water recharge project is

causing.

The city said crews were delayed as they attempted to coordinate with PG&E on a gas line that ran parallel

to the pipe they were laying in.

“That caused the delay,” says Frank Lopez–Senior Director for Engineering Services with Harris &

Associates. “We had to evaluate it and get PG&E staff out and get contractor staff out. That took some

time to address that issue.”

The project is one of several the city is doing to maintain any future flood events.

Residents said the project taking place near Highway 101 off Front Street is what is causing much of the

traffic delays.

The project still has some time left on it, with crews laying down massive pipes to reroute storm water to a

new basin as the old one won’t be able to help with any future flooding.

“I have friends and family that live there so I hear a lot about this project over the weekends about the

traffic and when it’ll be fixed. I agree,this is something we don’t want to inconvenience the residents

or anyone in the city,” Lopez says.

The projects are worth $2.6 million overall and are paid for by “storm drain impact fees.”

The phase which is rerouting traffic on Front Street is slated to end by the end of October.