Board approves Measure V funding, HDR design agreement and property purchase for regional transportation projects

The Merced County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved funding and agreements for several transportation and infrastructure projects intended to support regional growth.

The board approved $2,800,000 in Measure V regional project funding for the Santa Fe Drive rehabilitation project between Merced and Atwater. County staff said the full project is estimated at about $5,250,000 and that the county will also pursue funding through the California Transportation Commission's local partnership program to complete improvements to roadway conditions and regional connectivity.

Separately, the board approved an agreement with HDR Engineering to provide design services for an inland port project at the Castle Commerce Center. Staff said the work is funded through a 2022 California State Transportation Agency port and freight infrastructure grant and described the project as an approximately $2,400,000 effort to improve the site's freight and logistics capabilities.

The board also approved the purchase of property needed for the Atwater Merced Expressway project. County staff reported the expressway is a planned north–south corridor intended to improve connectivity between Atwater and Merced; current efforts focus on advancing phase 1b (extending the existing roadway from Greensands Avenue to Santa Fe Drive) and portions of phase 2 toward Bellevue Road. Public Works said it is working on design, permitting and right-of-way activities.

The transcript of the meeting does not record roll-call vote tallies or mover/second names for these approvals. Meeting materials or minutes may include those details; staff directed the public to countyofmerced.com for updates and full documents.