Bryce Alderton
The county will pay almost $4 million to bury utility lines when
widening begins on Laguna Canyon Road, the Board of Supervisors decided
Tuesday.
The $4 million will be used on a portion of the road from El Toro Road
to the San Joaquin Hills Toll Road. The work is expected to begin next
year.
The state's Public Utilities Commission requires utility lines to be
buried at the time of road construction for a county improvement project.
The board identified the Laguna Canyon project as its No. 1 priority
as part of a seven-year county program to move utility lines underground.
Supervisor Thomas W. Wilson, whose district includes Laguna Beach, has
asked staff to notify him within two weeks about possible funding
sources to secure $3 million needed for additional utility line
conversions on Laguna Canyon Road from the toll road to Southern
California Edison Company's transfer line.
"I feel confident that we can [get the money]," Wilson said.
The board also voted Tuesday to form an underground utility district
to help with the realignment project on Laguna Canyon Road.
The board expects to hold a public hearing and select an underground
utility district by the end of June to give Southern California Edison
time to design utility conversions that meet the roadway widening
schedule.
