Council awards $27 million contract to widen and rebuild Bristol Street corridor

The Santa Ana City Council voted unanimously March 4 to award a construction contract and a construction-management agreement for a $27 million Bristol Street improvement project that will widen the roadway, place overhead utilities underground and add sidewalks, medians and a protected bike lane.

Public Works staff described the project as a multi-phase rebuild of Bristol Street between Warner Avenue and St. Andrew Place that will expand the existing two‑lane roadway to three lanes in each direction where feasible, add new sidewalks and parkways, build sound walls next to residences, relocate utilities underground, and construct a Class 4 protected bike lane. Staff told the council the city will build underground utility infrastructure to utility standards and coordinate weekly with utility companies to manage the complex undergrounding work.

“Construction is scheduled to start in April 2025 and finish by November 2026,” Executive Director Nabil Saba said during the presentation, describing a four‑phase approach that begins with sound walls, temporary lighting and potholing, then moves to electrical and communications undergrounding, followed by civil work and final paving and bikeway installation.

Councilmembers asked for clarifications on staging, power interruptions during the undergrounding work and public outreach. Staff said the contractor will stage equipment on vacant lots in the corridor and that the contractor is contractually required to issue 48‑hour notices for affected properties; the city will supplement contractor outreach with mailings, door hangers, changeable-message signage and neighborhood association meetings. Staff committed to mail postcards by mid‑March and to provide council copies of the mailer.

The project includes a set of leftover “remnant” parcels along Bristol that staff said will either be developed for commercial use or programmed as parks per the Bristol Specific Plan. Staff said the city will follow the Surplus Land Act process if properties are sold and will pursue grant funding to develop park parcels where feasible.

Councilmember Penalosa and others urged careful outreach, timely construction supervision, and additional measures to reduce dust and staging impacts. City staff said the construction contract includes higher liquidated damages ($11,420 per calendar day) to incentivize timely completion and that the city will enforce work-hour and dust‑mitigation requirements.

The council approved the contract award 7–0 and asked staff to provide ongoing construction updates, to expand notice radius to nearby neighborhoods on request, and to pursue grant funding for park parcels.