726-6US-1602 Conduit Installation Project

Caltrans District 7 has approved an encroachment permit for Charter Communications to install new conduit within the Caltrans right-of-way along State Route 126 at post mile 20.49 in Fillmore, Ventura County. The project, identified as 726-6US-1602, involves boring one foot to create a tie-in to an existing Charter handhole, with excavations reaching depths of 3.5 to 4 feet and average dimensions of 1 inch by 1 foot. The scope of work includes all necessary traffic control activities, and it has been determined that no public utilities will be relocated and no new right-of-way will be acquired. The project is managed by Project Manager Norman Hui and Senior Environmental Planner Pauline Lee. It has been granted a CEQA statutory and categorical exemption and qualifies as a categorical exclusion under NEPA. Environmental compliance requirements include conducting bird surveys of poles and vegetation within 500 feet for active nests and implementing protection BMPs if nests are found. Additionally, the contractor must halt work if unidentified cultural materials are unearthed until an archaeologist can assess the find. The project prohibits the disturbance of unpaved soil and the use of construction dewatering, and it must adhere to the Encroachment Permit Special Provisions TR-0408.