Item Number: 19
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: July 15, 2025
Submitted By:
Fredy Bonilla, City Engineer
Subject:
Approval of Utility Agreement Nos. 395-COV08, 395-COV12, 395-COV16, and 395- COV24 with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority for the Highway 395 Widening Project Phase 2
Recommendation:
That the Honorable Board of Directors:
(1) Approve Utility Agreement Nos. 395-COV08, 395-COV12, 395-COV16, and 395- COV24 with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority for the Highway 395 Widening Project Phase 2;
(2) Authorize the General Manager and Board Attorney to make non-substantive changes and clarifications to the utility agreements; and (3) Authorize the General Manager to execute the utility agreements on the Victorville Water District's behalf.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority will fully reimburse the construction costs to relocate the existing potable water mains required by the Highway 395 Widening Project Phase 2 minus $1 for accrued depreciation and $1 for salvage value per pipeline. Once the design is completed and the project advertised, the City will be responsible for a total of $8 for the four (4) water main relocations.
Strategic Plan Goal:
This item aligns with “Goal A Financial Sustainability and Goal E Invest in Infrastructure” in the City of Victorville Strategic Plan 2023-2026. The proposed agreements would fully reimburse the design and construction costs to relocate the existing potable water mains required by the project. Additionally, the project will improve the safety and level of service to motorists that drive Highway 395 daily by widening the highway to two lanes in each direction and providing for a raised center median from I-15 to Palmdale Road. 4 0
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Background:
The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) is the lead agency on the Highway 395 Widening Project Phase 2. The project proposes to widen Highway 395 from two-lanes to four-lanes, with a continuous raised center median from I-15 to Palmdale Road (SR-18) for approximately seven-miles. The project will also construct a new traffic signal at Highway 395 and Sycamore Street. This will be a collaborative effort by SBCTA and Caltrans to close a critical gap on the Highway 395 corridor in the Victor Valley region within the Cities of Victorville and Hesperia.
Phase 1 of the project was completed in 2020 and widened Highway 395 from SR-18 to Chamberlaine Way which was mostly in the City of Adelanto. Phase 3 is a future phase that will widen Highway 395 from Chamberlaine Way to Desert Flower Road and will be undertaken in the future as funding becomes available.
The Victorville Water District owns, operates, and maintains multiple waterlines along the Highway 395 corridor. These include but are not limited to:
An 8” asbestos cement (AC) water main
A 12” polyvinyl (PVC) water main
A 16” ductile iron (DI) water main
A 24” cement-lined and cement-coated (CML&C) steel water main Water vaults, fire hydrants, and other appurtenances along the Highway 395 corridor
The 8” AC, 12” DI, and the 24” CML&C water mains were initially constructed on the westerly shoulder of Highway 395 as it is easier to maintain them in a dirt shoulder than a travel lane. The 12” PVC watermain was constructed along the easterly shoulder of Highway 395 north of Bear Valley Road.
To avoid the relocation of Southern California Edison (SCE) power poles that have been constructed along the easterly side of Highway 395, SBCTA’s designer AECOM, is proposing to widen Highway 395 along the westerly edge of pavement, which would place three of these water mains within the travel lanes, and they would be too shallow which would not meet City or Caltrans standards.
Also, since a portion of Highway 395 has been widened to its ultimate capacity on the west side, north of La Mesa Road, the widening north of La Mesa Road must be on the east side which places the District’s 12” DI water main in conflict with the proposed improvements.
Discussion:
In February of this year, City Staff from the Engineering and the Water Departments met with SBCTA, Caltrans, and AECOM to discuss the required water main relocations. City staff was tasked with determining the Victorville Water District’s prior rights. The City Surveyor determined that between right-of-way dedications, water easements, and grant 4 0
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deeds, the Victorville Water District has prior rights when it comes to the multiple water mains installed along the Highway 395 corridor.
Utility Agreement No. 395-COV08 is an agreement between the City of Victorville and SBCTA for the 8” water main establishing that the City agrees to relocate the water mains that conflict with the proposed road widening on Highway 395. Similarly, Utility Agreement No. 395-COV12 is for the 12” watermain, Utility Agreement No. 395-COV16 is for the 16” watermain, and Utility Agreement No. 395-COV24 is for the 24” watermain. Furthermore, through our prior rights, SBCTA will contract for the final design and reimburse the City construction costs minus the accrued depreciation and salvage value of $8 to relocate the existing potable water mains required by the Highway 395 road widening.
Staff recommends that the Board of Directors approve Utility Agreement Nos. 395- COV08, 395-COV12, 395-COV16, and 395-COV24 with SBCTA for the Highway 395 Widening Project Phase 2, authorize the General Manager and Board Attorney to make non-substantive changes and clarifications to the utility agreement; and authorize the General Manager to execute the utility agreements on the City's and Water District's behalf.
Staff is available for any questions Council may have.
Attachments: A. Vicinity Map
B. Utility Agreement No. 395-COV08
C. Utility Agreement No. 395-COV12
D. Utility Agreement No. 395-COV16
E. Utility Agreement No. 395-COV24