BILL ANALYSIS
SCR 9
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 11, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Mike Eng, Chair
SCR 9 (Wiggins) - As Introduced: January 15, 2009
SENATE VOTE : 37-0
SUBJECT : State Route 101
SUMMARY : Designates a bridge on State Route (SR) 101 as the
James F. McManus Bridge Memorial Bridge. Specifically, this
bill :
1)Recounts the life and career of James McManus, a top-level
manager with the Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
2)Designates the Salmon Creek Bridge (Bridge No. 4-176, postmile
23.9) on SR 101 as the James F. McManus Memorial Bridge.
3)Requests Caltrans to determine the cost of appropriate signs,
consistent with the signing requirements for the state highway
system, showing this special designation and, upon receiving
donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover that cost,
to erect those signs.
EXISTING LAW : Assigns Caltrans the responsibility of operating
and maintaining state highways. This responsibility includes
the installation and maintenance of highway signs.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill was withdrawn from the
Senate Appropriations Committee pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
COMMENTS : James F. McManus began his career at Caltrans in 1954
as a junior civil engineer and immediately impressed his
supervisors with his engineering abilities. A highlight of his
18-year tenure in District 1 of Caltrans occurred after the 1964
flood incident in northern California, when Mr. McManus worked
on the SR 101 freeway project and designed a five-mile stretch
of the Redwood Freeway south of Myers Flat. He was particularly
proud of this project because, in addition to bypassing Myers
Flat and avoiding impact to the old growth redwoods and parks
south of the Eel River, he successfully convinced the district
leadership to change the original alignment of the highway to
create his vision of a panoramic view of the magnificent Eel
SCR 9
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River. The Myers Flat Bypass included five bridges across the
Eel River and its tributaries, including the Salmon Creek
Bridge.
Following his many achievements in District 1, Jim McManus
transferred to Caltrans' headquarters in Sacramento and was
subsequently promoted to Deputy Director of Caltrans' District 7
in Los Angeles, where he oversaw the planning, design, and
construction of the monumental Century Freeway project and won
Engineer of the Year for Caltrans as a result.
In 1986, Mr. McManus moved back to headquarters, serving as
Deputy Chief Engineer until his retirement in 1992 after 38
years of service. James F. McManus died on December 2, 2006.
Legislative history : This bill is a reintroduction of the
author's SCR 120 from 2008 which passed the Senate unanimously
but arrived in the Assembly too late in the legislative session
to have time to be considered.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Humboldt County Board of Supervisors (sponsor)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
Opposition
None received
Analysis Prepared by : Howard Posner / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093