By Mike Gervais
Register Staff
4-23-2009

Talks about county road improvements have been heated in Inyo County for a long time, with Supervisor Richard Cervantes claiming that his roads in the Fifth District are neglected.
Thanks to a Surface Transportation Authorization Project grant available through Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon, Cervantes is now looking at jump-starting two rehabilitation projects in his district.
According to Public Works Director Ted Pederson, “staff is preparing the necessary application forms in consultation with Caltrans, the U.S. Forest Service and Congressman McKeon’s office.”

Pederson has plans on using that money for a Whitney Portal Road rehabilitation project and work on the Olancha-Cartago Expressway.
Though it is not clear exactly how much money will be available through the grant for the projects, Pederson said there will be more money available for these projects than what was available in the America Recovery Reinvestment Act, which the county is using to begin work on a rehabilitation project on a North Barlow Lane improvement project that includes portions of Dixon and Saniger lanes.
The county is expecting to receive $1,368,000 in ARRA funds and the Barlow Lane project is expected to cost approximately $1,047,000, leaving the City of Bishop enough money to complete its $320,000 Hanby Street Project.
When the board approved that project last week, Supervisor Cervantes voted against it, saying that the roads in Southern Inyo were in greater need of work.
The board unanimously approved the Olancha-Cartago and Whitney Portal Road projects on Tuesday, offering ideas for the application that might make the federal government more inclined to supply the funds.

In addition to the rehabilitation, Whitney Portal Road will have a bike path installed from U.S. 395 to Horseshoe Meadow Road.
According to Second District Supervisor Susan Cash, Pederson’s application may be more appealing if it mentions that Whitney Portal Road provides access to two federally-owned campgrounds.
Third District Supervisor Beverly Brown also mentioned that there are 22,000 wilderness permits issued each year for people wishing to climb Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 states. She said that, too, should be mentioned in the application.
First District Supervisor Linda Arcularius thanked Pederson for identifying more federal funds to get the work done in the Fifth District, and mentioned that the funds being used are only a fraction of what the Surface Transportation Authorization Project funds will be if they are awarded, and will allow for a larger strip of Whitney Portal Road to be rehabilitated.