The Safe Routes to School Bridge Over Laguna Creek project involved the planning and construction of a year-round facility for bicycle, pedestrian, and equestrian users to cross Laguna Creek. The City of Elk Grove hired PMC to undertake a biological resource analysis, perform site investigations, prepare a biological resources report, and delineate wetlands for a bridge that would replace the existing crossing, which was an approximately 400-foot long, meandering, off-street concrete low-water crossing that became flooded and unusable to pedestrian traffic during heavy rain events.
In addition to the construction of a bridge over Laguna Creek, the project incorporated extensive wetland, riparian, and grassland habitat restoration on the site of the former low-water crossing, as well as to mitigate for impacts to habitat potentially used by special-status species including the giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas), and Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni). PMC designed the conceptual restoration plan for this project.
PMC assisted the City of Elk Grove Planning Department obtain project approvals from the Elk Grove City Council, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board (Section 401 Water Quality Certification), the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Section 404 Dredge and Fill Permit), and the California Department of Fish and Game (Section 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreement).