The San Bernardino County Public Works Department is responsible for planning, designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining the county’s infrastructure. Infrastructure refers to county roads, special districts, solid waste systems, flood control, water conservation facilities, and more.
Public Works performs projects and scheduled maintenance, looking into the future to project needs based on growth, and partnering with other agencies for continued success.
Have you ever wondered how a public works project comes to life?
The Department of Public Works first chooses a project that meets the County’s identified needs. These needs include safety, maintenance, improvement of operations, and long-range planning. It’s crucial that every new project directly benefits our residents!
Next, a detailed study occurs, where environmental impacts are researched, and funding is secured. Public projects can be very expensive, and funding usually involves a combination of federal, state, and local funds.
With the scope of work understood, the project enters the preliminary engineering phase, where early plans are designed and prepared. Environmental Clearance also begins here, which assesses the impact of the planned project on the environment and people. This process can be lengthy, especially when complicated environmental mitigation is needed.
All throughout the project, extensive efforts are made to minimize any impact to adjacent properties, but right of way acquisition is sometimes unavoidable. Right of way refers to being granted authorization to use another’s property for a specific purpose, such as building a road across private property to connect two public roads. These impacts are unique to each project, so the amount of land that may be required varies, and the acquisition process can take months or years.
All the pieces are now in place for the project to move into the final design phase. Here, the final plans, specifications, estimates, and any additional, necessary permitting are completed and packaged for review by the Board of Supervisors.
After board approval, the project is clear to be advertised for bidding, and when it has been awarded to a contractor, construction is ready to commence! Construction timelines may be dependent on the project’s size, region, season, and funding deadlines, but the work never stops until the project is completed!
To learn more about our County Projects or the Department of Public Works, please visit www.dpw.sbcounty.org.