Niles Canyon Action Alert

Action alerts on Caltrans projects in Niles Canyon coming soon

Caltrans Niles Canyon Projects Update - February 2018

Caltrans road safety projects in Niles Canyon involve a scaled-back Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project, the Alameda Creek Bridge Replacement Project, and mitigation for the trees cut in lower Niles Canyon in 2011.

Alameda Creek Bridge Replacement Project: Caltrans finalized the EIR in August 2017. The Alameda Creek Alliance filed a lawsuit challenging the project in November 2017. Read our press release on the lawsuit.

Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project:Caltrans finalized the EIR in January 2018. The Alameda Creek Alliance filed a lawsuit challenging the project in February 2018. Read our press release about the lawsuit.

Arroyo de la Laguna Bridge Project: Environmental review is expected in 2018. See a project description here.

Short-term Safety Project. Caltrans implemented this project in summer of 2016. It involved no construction or highway work or environmental impacts. The project consisted of visual measures such as striping and bicycle route delineation on existing pavement.

Long-term Road Widening. Caltrans states they have abandoned the concept of widening the road throughout the Canyon, for now – they will monitor the effects of the short-term and medium-term safety projects to see if further measures are warranted. The potential project to widen the road along the entire length of the Canyon is not completely dead though.

Mitigation for Niles I Tree-cutting. Caltrans promised to fully mitigate with tree planting for 150 the trees it cut during 2011 in lower Niles Canyon. The agency instead is using a fish passage project as mitigation for the tree cutting. As part of the Niles Canyon Safety Improvement Project, Caltrans will remove the lower Stonybrook Creek box culvert under Highway 84 at Palomares Road and replace it with a free-span road bridge. Caltrans has tried to get out of mitigating for cut trees on site, stating that the trees are “recovering.” Caltrans is unable to mitigate for the mature sycamore trees they cut down along lower Stonybrook Creek. Caltrans has had difficulty finding suitable locations and projects that regulatory agencies will accept as mitigation.

Caltrans will provide updated descriptions and timelines on their Niles Canyon projects web page.

Learn more about this issue on our Protecting Niles Canyon page