Railroad Grading and Highway Construction – Ventura CA

Description

Funded by the National Industrial Recovery Act, the construction of the Ventura overhead structure separated the grade of the main line of the Southern Pacific Company and the Coast Route of the State highway. Located about three miles north of the city of Ventura, this work consisted of a steel and concrete structure carrying the highway at an elevated grade over the railroad tracks. It was part of a major project for reconstruction and improvement of the Slate highway from Ventura northerly to Santa Barbara County.

Designed in part to ameliorate high local unemployment, the project as a whole addressed deteriorating road conditions along the highway and extended for about 12 miles north of the city of Ventura. Work involved a partial major realignment of the roadway, widening of the Ventura River Bridge, construction of the Ventura overhead, widening of pavement and shoulders, and the building of approximately a one and one-tenth miles addition to existing seawall constructed in 1925.

“No workman on the job, with the exception of those in supervisory capacities, is working more than thirty hours a week as provided by the Federal act. The contract for the construction of the overhead was awarded on January 26, 1934, at a total bid price of $83,975, and the time limit for construction was fixed at 175 working days. It is now expected that construction will be complete on or before September 1, 1934, the date upon which the time limit expires.”

-May 1934 Issue of California Highway & Public Works magazine