The City of Goleta would like to update the community on the status of the closed bike path area on Cathedral Oaks Road. The bike path was closed on January 30, 2017, following a winter storm event that eroded the slope and raised concerns over the integrity of the crib wall. A crib wall is a type of large scale retaining wall that retains an earthen slope. The Cathedral Oaks Crib Wall is located along the down slope on the northern side of Cathedral Oaks Road.
High intensity rainfall caused runoff to infiltrate behind the crib wall and caused extensive damage. An initial investigation led to reopening the roadway after determining it was not undermined. The bike path however remains temporarily closed. Public Works hired a geotechnical and structural engineering design team to perform a comprehensive investigation of the crib wall. The purpose of the investigation was to determine the potential failure mechanisms related to the original crib wall design and construction. Work included drilling approximately 23 borings near the bike path. The borings ranged between 25 feet to 80 feet below ground surface. The work also included using ground penetrating radar, collecting and analyzing soil samples in the laboratory, and developing and providing recommended structural repair options and cost estimates.
The City is working toward completing design alternatives and preliminary cost estimates for the Cathedral Oaks Crib Wall Repair Project.
The consultant team has performed the geotechnical analysis, seismic downhole logging surveys, analyzed the soil samples collected, and reviewed the geophysical data. The structural engineering portion of the team is currently preparing design alternatives and associated preliminary cost estimates for the repairs. Once complete, Public Works will present the design options, preliminary cost estimates, and recommendation to the City Council. Public Works will then issue a Request for Proposals to design the ultimate repair or replacement of the retaining wall system. Actual construction timing and project funding will be determined as the final project is developed.