DATE: August 5, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Development Services Department
TITLE: APPROVAL TO ACCEPT $4,293,705 IN GRANT FUNDS FROM FEDERAL AID PROGRAM
RECOMMENDATION
title
Staff recommends that the City Council accept and appropriate $4,293,705 in additional Federal-Aid funds for the Coast Highway bridge over San Luis Rey River (Coast Highway Bridge Replacement Project).
bod
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), has authorized an additional $4,293,705 in federal funds for the Right of Way (ROW) phase under E-76 Sequence No. 9. These funds will support right-of-way acquisition activities necessary to advance the project toward construction.
The Coast Highway Bridge over the San Luis Rey River was constructed in 1929 and has been identified through Caltrans bridge inspections and evaluations as eligible for replacement under the Federal Highway Bridge Program.
The City previously completed multiple phases of preliminary engineering, environmental review, and design development for the bridge replacement project using a combination of local and federal transportation funds. In March of 2015, City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement with Moffatt & Nichol to provide engineering, environmental, and design services for the project.
The project is currently advancing into the Right-of-Way ("ROW") phase, which includes property acquisition, easement coordination, utility coordination, and related activities necessary to prepare the project for future construction. On April 1, 2026, FHWA authorized E-76 Sequence No. 9, which provides an additional $4,293,705 in Federal Highway Bridge Program funding for the ROW phase of the project.
The project continues to be administered in accordance with Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures and FHWA requirements. Acceptance and appropriation of these additional federal funds will allow t...
Click here for full text