FALLBROOK: Route 76 work will begin next month

Limited blasting seen at Rosemary's Mountain

By TOM PFINGSTEN - Staff Writer | Friday, April 11, 2008 2:02 PM PDT ∞

FALLBROOK ---- Road work on a 1.3-mile stretch of Highway 76 east of Interstate 15 won't begin for at least a month, although the company behind the project has begun blasting on a nearby hillside to make way for a fence, a project manager said this week.

"We've had a couple of small blasting events," said Granite Construction spokesman Gary Johnson. "The road work is scheduled to bid on May 13, and I anticipate that whoever the contractor is will be out there working by the end of May or the first part of June."

Granite Construction is paying for half of the $26 million road construction to accommodate extra traffic added to the highway when the company's quarry at Rosemary's Mountain opens. The Pala band of Mission Indians is paying for the rest, and will also pay for later improvements to the highway between Rice Canyon Road and its casino, where the tribe is planning a major expansion.

Johnson said recent reports that road work had begun probably stemmed from the limited blasting the company has performed to install fencing, because the road must be closed for about 10 minutes each time.

"We're moving some material as we're putting the fence in, and we've moved some across the road, so we've got flaggers out there for that," he added.

But the road-widening project ---- which will expand the highway to four lanes between the interstate and Rice Canyon Road ---- has yet to begin.

When it does, officials have said motorists can expect periodic delays as construction crews widen and realign the road to straighten out two sharp curves.

Once the road construction is finished next year, Granite Construction will begin developing the quarry at Rosemary's Mountain, which entails building permanent structures such as a rock crusher and an asphalt plant.

Operating from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, the quarry will sell 1 million tons of sand and gravel a year for 20 years, according to site plans.

In February, a spokeswoman said it should take about three years for the quarry to become fully operational.

Granite Construction has set up a telephone information line for those curious about road closures and other delays at (760) 775-7500.

The company is also hosting an informational meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at Pala Mesa Resort, 2001 Old Highway 395, to inform residents about the quarry and upcoming road improvements.

Contact staff writer Tom Pfingsten at (760) 740-3516 or tpfingsten@nctimes.com.