Levee Project Work and Partial Trail Closure South of Shorebird Park Anticipated to Begin October 28 -- Dirt Hauls to Start October 12 With Safety Modifications to Parking at Sea Cloud Park

For Immediate Release: October 8, 2020
Contact: Norm Dorais, Public Works Director, (650) 286-3279, ndorais@fostercity.org  

The initial work along the Levee Trail from approximately Port Royal Ave. to Shorebird Park/Halibut St. 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. 

The trail in that area has already been marked with signage indicating the anticipated closure date. Due to contractor scheduling, trail closure and construction activity may begin a few days later. Work days and hours for the project are Monday-Friday 8am – 5pm, and Saturday 9am – 5pm. Due to this major construction project's scope and scale, 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.

Significant amounts of dirt fill will be hauled to the construction staging area near Sea Cloud Park, beginning with two 8-to-10-day stages. The first stage is anticipated to start Monday, October 12 and the second in mid-November, each with an estimated 40-60 trucks per day. During this dirt haul, trucks will be present from 8 am - 4 pm on weekdays and from 9am – 5pm on Saturdays. Additional hauling of dirt and other materials and equipment into and out of Sea Cloud Park past the sports fields will continue as the project proceeds. 

To ensure the safety of those parking and using the fields, Foster City and its contractor team coordinated with the local sports leagues to develop a plan to provide for public safety by maintaining a buffer between the parking area, pedestrians, and the trucks entering the staging area. The safety measures include (see attached map):

Parking:

• The southern parking lot (ball field - Lot A) will remain open for public use. Striping will be installed to create a turnaround at the eastern end of that lot, to facilitate safe drop off and pick up. The eastern exit will be closed. 
• All spaces in the northern parking lot (Snack Shack/middle lot - Lot B) will be closed to public use.  
• The north side of Sea Cloud Drive will remain available for street parking.
• Parking will be prohibited on the south side of Sea Cloud Drive from Pitcairn Drive to the end of the road. 

Other Measures:

• A new crosswalk, stop sign, and other signage will be installed on Sea Cloud Drive, approximately where Lot A begins, to allow for safe crossing. 
• Fencing will be placed around the closed parking lot to direct all pedestrians to cross at the designated crossing location. 
• Visitors are strongly encouraged to drop off and pickup park users rather than parking, due to the reduced number of parking spaces available.
• Contractor personnel will be in the vicinity to monitor truck traffic and safety. 
• All park users should be extremely cautious when driving, walking, or biking in this area during construction. 
• This route will be used for the delivery of other materials and equipment as the project proceeds, in addition to periodic dirt hauls. Therefore these safety measures will likely remain in place for the duration of the project.

Residents near construction work should expect construction noise and dust, detours, heavy equipment operating nearby, and possible traffic delays. Street sweeping and dust control measures will be in place. We apologize for the inconvenience - the City and contractor will make every effort to minimize disruption and keep residents informed of the work and its expected impacts as the project progresses. 

Foster City community members can subscribe to receive email construction updates at www.fostercity.org/leveesubscribe. For more information about this project, including an updated set of FAQs, 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 be returned within 24 hours). 

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