Board hears ad hoc roads update; residents press funding and safety concerns for San Juan Canyon Road

San Benito County public works staff updated the Board of Supervisors on multiple road projects and next steps for bids, and members of the public urged immediate investment in San Juan Canyon Road citing safety, tourism and evacuation concerns.

Public works reported construction on Major Lake Road has completed resurfacing near the county line, and striping and final work were scheduled through early October. The department said Sand Highway work near Anzar High School is planned for early September and will be timed to avoid school loading/unloading.

Staff said Coleridge (spelled in the transcript as "Coleridge/Colvard") is moving forward after a contract approval and that the county has secured approximately $2–3 million in funding for reconstruction work on that corridor; staff expect bids to be advertised in early September with construction possible by October depending on award timing.

An ad hoc county roads committee presented a broader prioritization framework aimed at focusing limited funds on high‑volume and evacuation routes. Committee members recommended pursuing projects that are shovel-ready or where limited resurfacing can yield large safety benefits, exploring lower-cost surfacing options, and coordinating grant requests for evacuation-route repairs.

Multiple public commenters and several supervisors focused on San Juan Canyon Road (also called Sam Juan/San Juan in the transcript). Commenters said the road serves both residents and state park visitors, estimated annual visitors in the thousands, and argued the road is unsafe for emergency evacuations. One resident, Jackie Lopez, said local events at the observatory and park drive substantial traffic and supported the project. Other speakers asked the board to pursue state and federal funds and to make the road a shovel‑ready project to improve the chances of external grants.

Supervisors debated whether to send letters to state representatives requesting funding. Some members urged selective outreach to gain support for shovel‑ready projects; others warned that sending many letters may dilute effectiveness and suggested more targeted coordination with state staff before broad appeals. Board members also discussed whether earlier-removed projects on the county’s funded list had affected priorities and requested staff clarify which projects were still “shovel ready.”

Public works director (identified in the meeting as Steve) said bids and lead times are volatile and the department will work with contractors to accelerate schedules where feasible. Staff noted design and geotechnical work remains for some segments; for San Juan Canyon Road, engineers must complete geotechnical designs and slope stabilization estimates before the project can be classified as fully shovel ready.

Supervisors asked staff to provide clearer timelines, to return with shovel‑ready package(s) for representative outreach, and to prioritize evacuation routes for grant applications.