Addenda and Utility Adjustments Propel Project
South Main Street and Soda Bay Road Corridor Project Progress
The Board of Supervisors approved the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Addenda amending the underground utility district, allowing two overhead utility exceptions, and ensuring the South Main Street and Soda Bay Road Widening and Bike Lanes project meets funding and construction deadlines.
On November 18, 2025, Interim Public Works Director Lars Ewing, along with Community Development Senior Planner Michelle Irace, jointly presented background information, updates, and next steps for the project.
“The project runs from Lakeport’s southern city limits at South Main Street, along Highway 175, onto Soda Bay Road, ending near Manning Creek,” Ewing said. The underground utility district was established in 2001 and required overhead utilities to be placed underground. CEQA review began in 2007, and a joint CEQA–National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document was completed in 2012. Permits and design are nearly complete, and cultural and environmental planning, including an MOU with the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, is complete.”
As part of her response to Ewing’s acknowledgement of her work, Irace shared more about the project’s added elements, explaining that “adding a few extra hours of nighttime work would not create new effects and that mitigation measures have been strengthened.”
Additionally, two utility poles will remain above ground—one to protect a culturally sensitive site, the other to avoid major infrastructure changes. These adjustments keep the project on schedule and compliant with CEQA requirements.
Click here to watch the Board presentation.
Ewing explained funding and scheduling milestones:
Application was submitted on December 1, 2025, for the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to consider $10.5 million in State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funding.
All pre-construction work, including environmental permits, regulatory approvals, design completion, right-of-way acquisition, and utility coordination, must be certified to access the funding.
The CTC must allocate funding by January 2026.
The $10.5 million covers part of roadway improvements. Additional funding for undergrounding utilities comes from PG&E Rule 20A and contributions from AT&T and Mediacom.
Click here to watch the Board presentation on the underground utilities district.
Next steps include finalizing design and continuing work with PG&E, AT&T, and Mediacom under a joint trench agreement. Design is 99% complete and nearly construction-ready. Utility coordination includes Lake County Special Districts and other existing utilities. Coordination with overhead utility companies and the City of Lakeport ensures water line placement avoids future road disruptions. Construction funding for utilities is expected mid-2026, with road construction likely in 2027.
With funding and permits in place, construction is expected to begin in mid-2026, providing safer roads, bike lanes, and improved utility infrastructure.