City hires engineering firm to design Sutter Bike Path Gap Closure

Yuba City officials recently hired an engineering firm to design the Sutter Bike Path Gap Closure project.

Currently, the Sutter Bike

Path runs from Acacia Avenue in Sutter east to Hooper Road

— a distance of approximately

4.6 miles. The Public Works Department has been working to facilitate the extension of the Class I path farther east by more than half a mile to Harter Parkway, as well as a shared-use path along the West side of Harter Parkway from Butte House Road to Highway 20.

“The Sutter Bike Path Gap Closure Project will provide a direct path for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling from as far west as the town of Sutter to the proposed park adjacent to Harter Parkway,” said Diana Langley,

interim city manager. “The improvements along Harter Parkway will also provide a safe area for students that walk or bike to and from River Valley High School and Feather River Academy. This will create more opportunities for recreation, exercise, and shopping.”

The California Department of Transportation allocated $153,000 to Yuba City for the project’s design. Three engineering firms submitted bids for the project.

At their most recent meeting, Yuba

City Council members selected Dokken Engineering out of Folsom to conduct the preliminary engineering services for a

total of $182,652 — what isn’t covered by the allocated state funds will be covered by the city ($29,652).

Langley said it was determined that Dokken was the most qualified for the project because of their ability to work expeditiously with multiple divisions of Caltrans, as evidenced by the work they did on the Fifth Street Bridge Replacement Project, for their thoughtful analysis of potential issues and proposed solutions including environmental compliance necessary to facilitate construction, and for their ability to develop a project that was congruent with the city’s Bicycle Master Plan.

No timeline was announced as to when the engineering work will be completed.