BREA : Road Improvements to Being in August

The City Council this week voted unanimously to accept a $6.8-million bid from Shawnon Corp. of Downey for widening Imperial Boulevard between Berry Street and Randolph Avenue.

The project, which has been in the works since 1979, will begin in August and take 18 months to two years to complete, said City Manager Frank Benest.

“We want to minimize disruption in the community as much as possible, so we think it can be done in about 18 months,” Benest said.

The City Council met in special session Tuesday night to approve the project. If it had not been approved by June 30, the city would have lost about $3 million in federal and state money earmarked for the widening and road improvements.

The plan also calls for installing turn lanes at the intersection of Brea and Imperial boulevards, as well as landscaping and sewer and water improvements.

Shawnon’s winning bid was almost $2 million less than what the city expected to pay for a contractor, Benest said.

City officials originally planned to seek bids on the project last year, when complaints were made to federal and state authorities alleging that some businesses and residents forced to move to make way for the project did not receive proper relocation benefits.

A Caltrans investigation revealed that several people did not receive all of their entitled benefits.

The city was ordered to make restitution.