A l a m e d a C o r r i d o r - E a s t C o n s t r u c t i o n A u t h o r i t y THE ACE REPORT www.theaceproject.org Summer 2013 Inside This Issue Millrace Relocated Nogales Project Underway Baldwin Project Advances Longtime ACE CEO Retires 2 4 5 6 ACE Board Chair s Message Dear Friends: Rick Richmond retired in May after 14 years of service as the first Chief Executive Officer of the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority (ACE), and we wish him all the best in his retirement. Rick s integrity, forthrightness and good judgment were exemplary and his expert focus on budgets, funding and schedule Hon. David R. Gutierrez were essential to the success of the ACE program of railroadway grade separation projects in the San Gabriel Valley. We thank him for his dedication and leadership in developing a start-up construction authority into a successful agency overseeing a $1.7 billion program and widely regarded as a model for the implementation of freight infrastructure projects. ACE Board Members Norma Macias Chair City of El Monte Jack Hadjinian Vice Chair City of Montebello Michael Antonovich Los Angeles County Gloria Molina Los Angeles County Juli Costanzo City of San Gabriel Under Rick s leadership, ACE completed seven grade separation projects across the San Gabriel Valley with another three projects under construction. ACE also completed safety and mobility improvements at 39 at-grade rail crossings in the Cities of Diamond Bar, El Monte, Industry, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Pomona, Rosemead, San Gabriel, Temple City, Walnut, West Covina and unincorporated Los Angeles County and the installation of four-quadrant gates at five railroad crossings in Pomona. Rick also oversaw efforts that successfully secured nearly $1.5 billion in Federal, state, county, local and railroad funding commitments for the ACE program. Following Rick s retirement, the ACE Board unanimously appointed Deputy CEO and Chief Engineer Mark Christoffels as Acting CEO. Though he will be missed, Rick built a strong team and I am confident that we will forge ahead in completing the ACE Project. Thank you for your continued interest in and support for the ACE Project. Sincerely, Barbara Messina SGVCOG Freddie Rodriguez City of Pomona Tim Spohn City of Industry Paul Eaton Ex Officio SANBAG The Hon. Norma Macias Chair, ACE Construction Authority Board of Directors Mayor Pro Tem, City of El Monte
Page 2 HISTORIC MASONRY WATERWAY MOVED TO SAN GABRIEL MISSION PARK A 15-ton section of masonry waterway is relocated from the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way to a nearby park in preparation for mass excavation for the San Gabriel Trench grade separation project. In June, workers supervised by archaeologists carefully maneuvered a 15-ton section of fragile masonry waterway associated with a mill built in 1823 to a park adjacent to the historic San Gabriel Mission where it will be reinstalled and opened for public display later this summer. Removing the millrace from the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way is required prior to mass excavation of the area for the Alameda Corridor- East Construction Authority s railroad trench project. Towed on a custom-assembled chasse across the railroad to Plaza Park, the millrace was carefully lowered into an excavated site. Over the summer, workers will install a new concrete foundation and outfit the millrace with an electric pump and running water, replicating its original appearance and use. The millrace exhibit will be A worker prepares the millrace for its move. See MILLRACE, page 3
Page 3 MILLRACE, continued from page 2 surrounded with decomposed granite walkways and interpretive signs and is expected to be an educational and attractive feature for visitors to the historic Mission. The millrace channeled water from springs in the San Gabriel Valley to a gristmill constructed by Native American laborers in the 1820s under orders from the priests at the Mission, which was founded in 1771 as the first European settlement in the Los Angeles region. The Mission was part of a chain of Spanish outposts in California dating to the 1700s. Design and construction of the mill and millrace was supervised by Joseph Chapman, a shipwright from Boston who was captured by the Spanish while serving aboard a pirate ship raiding the California coast. The most advanced of its kind in the region, Chapman s Mill was the center of the thriving Mission agricultural settlement, replacing an outmoded mill still standing in San Marino. The San Gabriel Trench project under construction will result in the lowering of a 1.4- mile section of Union Pacific railroad track in a 30-foot-deep, concrete-walled trench with bridges built at all four crossings in San Gabriel. Above, an artist s overhead view of the millrace relocated to Plaza Park in San Gabriel. Built more than 200 years ago, the millrace brought water to Chapman s Mill, which ground corn and wheat for the thriving Mission community. When installation is complete in late summer, the millrace will feature flowing water to recreate its original appearance and use, interpretive signs and a decomposed granite walkway. At right, the millrace as it appeared in 1884, after the railroad cut through it.
Page 4 Nogales Street project starts construction Construction started in May on the Nogales Street grade separation project in the City of Industry and Rowland Heights. At left, workers prepare a temporary detour road across vacant land near Nogales Street. At right, workers install corrugated metal pipe for site drainage; bottom, right, heavy equipment is used to excavate a trench; below, workers confirm the location of underground utilities.
Page 5 Work underway on Baldwin Ave. project Work started in January on the Baldwin Avenue grade separation project in El Monte. A railroad bridge will be built and Baldwin Avenue lowered in an underpass. At top, workers grade the railroad right-ofway in preparation for installing detour track to permit the railroad bridge to be constructed. Above, stockpiled reinforced concrete pipe awaits installation for storm drain realignment. At left, a truck uses a new north access road constructed to provide access to warehouses adjacent to the project.
Page 6 Farewell, Rick Richmond! Above, ACE CEO Rick Richmond, center, with ACE staff at his retirement luncheon in May. At right, from left, ACE Vice Chair Jack Hadjinian, former ACE Board member Steve Atchley, Rep. Grace Napolitano, ACE consultant Mark Mendoza, SCAG Chief Deputy Executive Officer Sharon Neely and Ben Cardenas, district director for Rep. Napolitano. Bottom, right, former ACE employee Girish Roy, State Sen. Bob Huff, ACE consultant Mark Mendoza and ACE CEO Rick Richmond. We re multilingual! Read the Spanish and Chinese versions of our newsletter on the ACE website: Somos multilingüe! Lea la versión en Español de nuestro boletín en la página de internet de ACE: 我們為您提供多語種服務! 欲閱讀中文版本的通訊, 請瀏覽 ACE 網站 : www.theaceproject.org/acereport