The massive project to "fix" El Camino Real known around town as The Big Dig after the Boston tunnel project has slipped to a Fall 2025 start with the PG&E part slipping into 2026. The Axeman still cometh for 90% of the eucalyptus, but it looks like they may live to see another winter. Finalizing the easements from ECR property owners is causing the slippage. Per the DJ piece
There are two major elements to the project. One, a Caltrans effort to repair the road, sidewalk and street lights that will span from Millbrae to San Mateo, may begin work by fall of this year, however, that construction may start in one of the other cities first.
The second aspect of the project is a Burlingame-specific push for PG&E to underground utilities. The construction start date for that work has been delayed to the second quarter of 2026, Okada said.
Delays to Caltrans’ work on the road revamp are being caused in part by the need for signed reconciliations that affirm property owners are aware if their driveways, gardens and retaining walls in the public right-of-way will need to be removed to make way for sidewalk work.
The city has committed to paying for the reconstruction of those facilities if property owners allow them to be temporarily removed, Burlingame Councilmember Donna Colson said, but has still run into trouble obtaining all of the necessary documentation of the easements.
Slipping timelines equate to slipping funding and budgets even though inflation is moderating. Thus, this uncertainty could be concerning as the undergrounding of the power lines is where the hidden problems like 1920's buried fuel tanks and other obstructions surface.
On the PG&E side, the paperwork for procuring a contractor has been delayed, Okada said.
The count of trees to be removed is also a moving target. It's still a lot of big, beautiful trees, but how many appears to have changed
The tree removal aspect of the project has long been controversial in Burlingame, which is well-known for its forestry. Plans to take down 382 trees, plant 429 and retain more than 193 trees have slowly come together with input from groups like the Burlingame Historical Society.
While we wait for the Big Dig to start perhaps Caltrans could throw us a bone and fix the potholes? The City should formally request a Spring patch along the whole stretch. I would also like to see the surviving trees be marked as such well before the project begins. That's just good transparency. A constant finding in talking to B'gamers is very few have any idea that hundreds of trees are on the chopping block.
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