Foster City Officially Breaks Ground on Levee Improvements Project

For Immediate Release: October 14, 2020
Contact: Norm Dorais, Public Works Director, (650) 286-3279, ndorais@fostercity.org  

On the morning of October 14, 2020, a small group of City staff and dignitaries ceremoniously broke ground on the Foster City Levee Improvements Project! The event marked the official start of this three-year construction project to protect the community from storm and flood hazards, reinforce the levee against earthquake damage, and improve the popular levee trail. 

“We are so proud and happy to see this project get underway, and extremely grateful to the people of Foster City for funding this work, through 2018’s Measure P,” said Foster City Mayor Catherine Mahanpour. “This is an investment that is really going to pay immeasurable dividends – assuring the well-being and safety of our community in the near-term, and for generations to come.” 

The ceremony took place at Shorebird Park, and featured comments from Interim City Manager Dante Hall, Public Works Director Norm Dorais, Mayor Catherine Mahanpour, and District Director Brian Perkins (from Congresswoman Jackie Speier's Office), and closed with a small group of officials turning over dirt to commemorate the occasion. Stay tuned for a recap video of the event posted to the City’s project website (www.fostercity.org/leveeproject), as well as on our social media channels. 

This ceremony differed somewhat from typical groundbreaking events, with all participants carefully observing social distancing, face coverings, and hand sanitizing requirements, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the interest of health and safety, there were no public members in attendance, aside from a few walking nearby who stopped, at a distance, to observe.

“This project is really all about the people of Foster City, the families, and our businesses” said Interim City Manager Dante Hall. “We know this construction is going to be disruptive, but City staff and the contractor are dedicated to minimizing the inconveniences. The end result will be worth it, and I have confidence that our community understands that. I want to thank everyone, in advance, for their patience and understanding as we embark on this truly important project which is focused on making Foster City a better, safer place for everyone.”

The initial work along the Levee Trail from approximately Port Royal Avenue to Shorebird Park/Halibut Street is expected to commence on October 28, 2020. For public safety and more expedient construction, the 2.5 miles of the Levee Trail in this area will be closed to public use on that date, for at least 10-12 months. For everyone’s safety, community members are urged not to enter any of the fenced areas. Pedestrian/bicycle detours and signage will be in place. Work days and hours for the project are Monday-Friday from 8am–5pm and Saturday from 9am–5pm. Due to the scope and scale of this major construction project, these work days/hours are necessary to ensure completion of the project in a timely manner, resulting in a shorter overall construction duration and reduced length of impact to the public.

Foster City community members can subscribe to receive email construction updates at www.fostercity.org/leveesubscribe. For more information about this project, please visit www.fostercity.org/leveeproject. Additional questions can also be directed to the Foster City Public Works Department at (650) 286-3270 or leveeproject@fostercity.org. Any construction-related issues may be reported to the project hotline at 1-800-213-6320 (calls will typically be returned within one-to-two working days). 

###