Building to Start on State 52 Extension

The largest highway construction project to date using funds from the special half-cent San Diego County sales tax increase is scheduled to begin this summer, the California Department of Transportation said this week.

TransNet, as the county sales tax passed in 1987 is called, will finance the second stage of a $305-million, five-stage project to extend California 52 east to California 67 in Santee, according to a statement from Caltrans.

Bids were opened last Thursday on the second stage, which would bring California 52 from 3 miles east of Santo Road in Tierrasanta to Mission Gorge Road in Santee.

The Daley Corp. of San Diego submitted a $31.7-million bid, apparently the lowest, to construct the four-lane freeway, which should take about 2 1/2 years.

The bidding on the first stage of the project, which would extend California 52 by 3 miles, opened May 9.

The final stage of the highway is not expected to be completed until 2004.

Jesus Garcia, Caltrans district director, said, “When fully opened, the route is expected to reduce traffic congestion on I-8 by about 20%.”

Sections of Interstate 8 carry 270,000 vehicles a day. The new highway will also reduce traffic on Mission Gorge Road and other arterial roads.

According to the statement, most of the cost of the project will be covered by TransNet. The rest will be paid for with state and federal funds. Purchasing property and rights of way accounted for more than half of the total project cost.