Alabama Street between the cities of Redlands and Highland reopened today for more than 12,000 motorists who rely on the thoroughfare each day.
The San Bernardino County Flood Control District, along with the City of Highland, the City of Redlands, the City of San Bernardino and the Inland Valley Development Agency and dignitaries celebrated the opening this morning during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Alabama has been closed seven times since 2003 for damage to the roadway caused by storm flows from City Creek. The project started in November of 2013 and consisted of construction of two 48-foot-wide by 169-foot-long arch culverts at City Creek; roadway widening and paving; concreted rock slope protection, and the installation of new electric, gas and communication lines. The project was completed on time and under budget. The completed project meets the FEMA-approved 100-year flood capacity and the water-carrying capacity of the road crossing is now increased by more than 600 percent.
The project was completed at a construction cost of $2,350,010. More than 95 percent was funded by grants from the Federal Highway Administration and the state Office of Emergency Services. The remaining costs were shared by the San Bernardino County Flood Control District, the City of Highland, the City of Redlands, the City of San Bernardino and the Inland Valley Development Agency.