San Mateo County likely to delay Higgins Canyon Road construction after resident concern

If conditions aren’t construction-ready by March, work could potentially be pushed to April or May.

Construction on another damaged upward section, 2665 Higgins Canyon Road, was only recently finished by Dec. 23, 2023.

The alternative route during a road closure, Purisima Creek Road, has been a source of concern for residents, who’ve cited steep, sharp turns that can get especially perilous during the rain and add upwards of 15 minutes to commute time.

“Considering the concerns raised by the residents, we believe that a brief postponement of the construction work is feasible,” the email said, noting that the potential decision is being made after a conversation with the construction company. “We believe that delaying until this time addresses several of the concerns raised including getting past the time of year when it is darkest and a significant portion of the rainy season.”

But when repairs commence, they will require a full road shutdown, the email said.

“However, we want to emphasize that a full closure is inevitable and will be necessary during construction,” the email continued.

An earlier, Sept. 13, 2023, letter from the county announcing repairs on the upper part of the street had told residents that the 2180 repairs would begin late September but that access from 2175 to 2665 Higgins Canyon Road would remain open “for local traffic only.”

“Residents in between 2175 and 2665 Higgins Canyon Road will be allowed to cross the project area at 2180 Higgins Canyon Road during this time. Delays are expected; however, access will always be provided for residents between 2175 and 2665 Higgins Canyon Road,” the letter reads.

For Higgins Canyon Road resident Gail Evenari, waiting to work on construction until potential rains and atmospheric rivers — like the ones that created the damage around a year ago — abate is a huge relief.

“I am grateful to see that the county has reconsidered the dates for the next stage of road repair until after daylight saving time. I also appreciate the fact that they will be consulting with the construction company about the road conditions and weather forecast,” she said.

Evenari still hopes that project managers will come up with a solution that will provide continued pedestrian and emergency vehicle access along Higgins Canyon Road.

And although she’s happy with the tentative delay plans, it’s taken quite a bit of advocacy to get here, including several letters to county officials over the past months and an editorial in the Half Moon Bay Review.

“I’m ready to get in my car, park perpendicular to the road and not move. I’m ready to go to jail if I have to,” Evenari said of her sentiments when hearing the original January road closure plan. “Because I think it’s dangerous. I think the plan is ill-conceived and dangerous.”

The 2180 portion of road has been severely damaged since Jan. 21, 2023, after the atmospheric river, at which point there was no mail service or garbage pickup and power was out for up to 20 days at a time, she said.

Residents could officially take the back roads or use pedestrian-only access to get through the damaged road on foot, although some eventually moved the concrete pillars that blocked car traffic after there were no repair efforts made by the county, Evenari said. This blockaded wintertime period was challenging for many Higgins Canyon Road residents.

“It was scary,” she said. “I’m 72. I see fine, I’m very active and everything. But I’m not feeling like driving at night on a windy, dark road in the rain is something that I am going to do and survive.”

For Darlene Waegner, an 82-year-old resident of Higgins Canyon Road, the original disrepair and closure caused extreme stress for her and her husband, a feeling that reemerged when they were originally told of the January road closure plan.

“That is a lot on my shoulders. I was having a lot of anxiety because I was worried about it,” she said. “I’m making sure I have my chores done one day a week to try to not have to go in [to town] more than once to not have to deal with it.”

Waegner’s husband, Robert Waegner, suffers from medical issues that require frequent hospital visits and some times stays. Driving on the back road during rain — if her daughter wasn’t around to help in case of an emergency — isn’t a pleasant thought for her.

“Push comes to shove, if I couldn’t get her, I would have to do it, and I don’t need that blood pressure problem,” she said.

When the road saw little construction progress after original damages, residents met with project engineers April 13, 2023, who explained delays were due to concerns for wet conditions. Wet condition concerns are no longer a concern for construction integrity, Lisaj said in a Jan. 5 email.

“The decision to proceed with construction in January was based on the installation of the drilled piers for the interior wall, a crucial step to stabilize the upslope area. Completing the interior wall eliminates our previous concerns about working in wet conditions,” Lisaj said.

Additionally, some construction progress has been made on the road portion, including smoothing over in October 2023, making it much easier to drive, Evenari said.

Despite the pain that the road breakdown has caused for Higgins Canyon Road residents — Evenari lost a tenant, she said — they’re considering the tentative delay as a win.

“I’m going to go tell my husband, we might have Champagne tonight,” Waegner said.

holly@smdailyjournal.com

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