Victorville approves $4.95 million streets contract; staff warns of large pavement funding gap

The Victorville City Council on Aug. 19 approved a $4,950,661.32 construction contract to Vance Corporation for the 2025 citywide street improvement package and amended the fiscal year 2025–26 budget to add $728,000 in Measure I funds for Roy Rogers Drive.

The projects in the combined contract include pavement rehabilitation on Ridgecrest Road (grind-and-overlay, ADA curb‑ramp upgrades, a sidewalk in front of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and an extended median at Bear Valley Road), full pavement reconstruction on Roy Rogers Drive where geotechnical work showed the existing structural section was deficient, a grant-funded Village Drive sidewalk and ADA bypass (grant: $250,000), and restriping adjustments on Green Tree Boulevard including added turn pockets.

City Engineer Freddy Bonilla said the Roy Rogers segment required reconstruction after coring showed the existing structural section would not support a simple grind-and-overlay. “When we went out and we courted, we determined that the existing structural section was deficient and so we couldn't just do a 2‑inch grind and cap,” Bonilla said, explaining the need for the additional appropriation.

Bonilla also presented the city’s annual pavement management findings alongside the award. The city’s pavement condition index (PCI) is 65.7, Bonilla said, down from about 68.6 last year. He said Victorville now maintains about 479 centerline miles of roadway and estimated an updated capital need of roughly $164.6 million to address deteriorated pavement across the network.

“Maintaining our good roads is a great strategy,” Bonilla said, describing the city’s benefit‑to‑cost approach that prioritizes high‑traffic arterials but that also leaves pressure on local residential streets. City Manager Metzler told the council the report ties to the Measure I five‑year capital plan and urged consideration of revenue options to avoid long‑term decline: “If Measure I is not extended in 2040 ... we need to control our own destiny,” Metzler said.

Council action: Councilwoman Deborah Jones moved to approve the notice of exemption, adopt the budget amendment, and award the contract; Councilmember Tiffany Godin seconded. The vote was recorded as Yes — Godin, Irving, Jones, Herriman; Mayor Becerra absent; motion passed and staff was authorized to file the CEQA notice and proceed with contract award (contract CC26‑031; resolution number 25‑065 recorded in staff materials).

The council also received staff presentations on the pavement management program and adopted the Measure I five‑year capital improvement plan, a separate procedural approval required by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority that formalizes planned Measure I cash flows over five years.

Bonilla and staff stressed the gap between current revenues and the estimated need: the presentation showed that maintaining a “very good” PCI across the city would require substantially higher annual funding (staff cited illustrative targets in the low‑ to mid‑teens of millions of dollars annually). Bonilla recommended continuing the city’s benefit‑to‑cost prioritization while the council considers longer‑term revenue options.

Work schedule and next steps: staff said final contract execution and construction scheduling will follow required filings and utility adjustments; the council approved the appropriation to allow the Roy Rogers reconstruction to proceed to construction.