San Rafael, CA – The Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW) has been awarded an $11 million Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) grant for the rehabilitation of Pierce Point Road in West Marin. Due to the anticipated design and permitting process, as well as federal funding allocation timelines, the expected project implementation date is 2024.
Despite its remote location, Pierce Point Road has about 600 vehicles drive on it each day.The $11 million grant will pay for 88.53 percent of a total estimated project cost of $12.4 million, with the remaining 11.47 percent coming from local funds. The proposed project will rehabilitate up to 9.32 miles of the heavily deteriorated Pierce Point Road from Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to Point Reyes National Seashore. Pierce Point Road is the only access to the northern portion of Point Reyes National Seashore, a route traveled by more than 600 vehicles daily. The project will improve both safety and function of roadway, including pavement quality, drainage upgrades, roadway widening and updated signage and striping. Final design decisions are expected by this fall.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which oversees the FLAP program, requires an extensive application process for the highly competitive grant funds. For California, less than 25 percent of project applications are approved each year by the California Program Decisions Committee. The grant requires projects to meet a range of parameters to improve transportation facilities that provide access to, are adjacent to, or are located within federal lands. Funds are administered through the FHWA, which also handles most of the design and construction work.
FHWA has been working closely with DPW and the National Parks Service on three FLAP projects within Marin County: a $17.7 million grant for 12 miles of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, between Pierce Point Road and Chimney Rock Road; a $5.2 million grant for 2.4 miles of Muir Woods Road between Muir Woods National Monument and Muir Beach; and the newly awarded grant for Pierce Point Road. These three projects will rehabilitate as much as 23.72 miles road, which represents 5 percent of the 421 miles of County-maintained roads. Necessary improvement projects of this magnitude would be not feasible without the 88.53 percent of funds coming from FLAP, saving the County millions of dollars.