Angels Highway 4 bypass to open early

The Highway 4 Angels Camp Bypass will open more than a year early, on July 22.

Calaveras Council of Governments Executive Director Tim McSorley Tuesday told the Board of Supervisors that the $61.5 million project will open with great fanfare, as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren and State Sen. Dave Cox have been invited to the ceremony.

Preparation for the bypass completion includes developing a sign program and establishing the name of the relinquished mile of road that will come under the jurisdiction of Angels Camp.
  

At Tuesday’s Angels City Council meeting, no moniker for the stretch of road could be agreed upon. Despite a recommendation from the Planning Commission to use the historical name of Vallecito Road — which covered a route that largely followed the soon-to-be-abandoned section of Highway 4 — the council on a 3-1 vote referred the item back to the commission for a public hearing, with Councilman Craig Turco dissenting.

Discussion centered on three ideas for the road name: Vallecito Road, Old Vallecito Road and Angels Creek Way.

Proponents of the former two cite a 145-year history for using the name of the nearby town in the new name. The latter choice is favored by the Branding Leadership Team, and was also recommended by the city’s Infrastructure and Facilities Committee.

BLT President Anne Forrest said the use of Vallecito’s name would confuse potential tourists and said the committee’s goal is to promote Angels Camp, not Vallecito.

The city risks a loss of Caltrans funding for new signs if it takes too long to make a decision on the road name.

A date for the public hearing will be announced later this week.