Yuba County awarded $48 million for drainage, infrastructure improvements in Olivehurst

Robert Summa, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
·3 min read

Dec. 7—Ever since settlers from the midwest came to Yuba County to improve livelihoods that were severely impacted by the Great Depression, the community known as Olivehurst has struggled to establish any proper footing and most notably, proper drainage and sidewalks.

On Thursday, the future of Olivehurst and Yuba County drastically changed thanks to a $48 million grant from the California Transportation Commission. Officials said this money will "fund the largest transportation and comprehensive drainage infrastructure improvement project ever undertaken by the county."

According to county officials, a complete transformation of what Olivehurst has been will take place through a project that will design and construct more than 26,000 feet of new storm drains, 52,000 feet of sidewalks, and 52,000 feet of bike routes along 13 roads in Olivehurst, a community which has continually been affected by localized street flooding due to poor infrastructure. The project also will improve Second Avenue, Third Avenue, Fourth Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Sixth Avenue, Eighth Avenue, Ninth Avenue, Tenth Avenue, Eleventh Avenue, Western Avenue, Beaver Lane, Canal Street, and Tulsa Avenue.

"Olivehurst residents asked for new sidewalks and improved drainage, and this is a huge bite of the apple," Yuba County District 3 Supervisor Seth Fuhrer said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to seeing these significant improvements become a reality."

Officials said Yuba County Public Works has been planning for this "comprehensive drainage project for years," with storm drains, sidewalks, and bike routes having already been constructed along Olivehurst Avenue, Powerline Road, Seventh Avenue, McGowan Parkway, a portion of Eleventh Avenue, and for the Olivehurst Roundabout. These projects represent a $17.9 million investment by the county in these neighborhoods.

"I could not be more proud of Yuba County Community Development staff who work so diligently to improve the infrastructure for our communities," Mike Lee, director of Community Development & Services Agency, said in a statement. "We have been immensely successful in obtaining state/federal grants to pay for the bulk of these infrastructure improvements, leveraging our local dollars tenfold."

Officials said even though Yuba Water Agency committed $9.9 million in local funds to meet the 20% local match for the $48 million grant, the California Transportation Commission voted to award the entire project amount without requiring any local match.

"This funding would not have been possible without the full support of the Yuba County Board of Supervisors and the Yuba Water Agency," Public Works Director Sam Bunton said in a statement. "We are so excited at this amazing opportunity and the support we've received to give back to the community."

The Yuba County grant is funded through the California Transportation Commission's Local Transportation Climate Adaptation Program. Officials said this project will "utilize findings from project analysis to design a robust drainage system that can increase resilience to climate change, increase mobility and accessibility, improve economic vitality, improve safety, and reduce vehicle miles traveled."

In total, the California Transportation Commission awarded more than $300 million to 15 projects across California that it said will make the state's transportation system more resilient to the impacts of climate change while also encouraging more walking, biking and the enhancement of public health.

"Communities across California are experiencing the impacts of climate change," California Transportation Commission Chair Lee Ann Eager said in a statement. "The extreme storms, flooding, and devastating wildfires we see year after year have become the norm, and we must invest in our transportation infrastructure today to avoid costly repairs and preserve access and mobility options for Californians in the future."