Napa County says PG&E has done work along Silverado Trail during evening rush hour in violation of county rules.
Pacific Gas & Electric crews have been doing roadwork along Silverado Trail during evening rush hour in violation of Napa County rules, posing what the county considers to be a traffic hazard.
The county has suspended all but emergency PG&E daytime work along that Napa Valley thoroughfare to Nov. 1, with other safety work to be done at night. The utility is to provide a letter from “the highest available authority” describing how it will avoid a repeat of the situation.
PG&E had already been in trouble with the county for doing work along Silverado Trail between 3 and 7 p.m. That resulted in the county suspending for part of July the utility's road encroachment permits. The utility trained its personnel on county rules and put new procedures in place, a county report said.
Then county Public Works Superintendent Steve Stangland drove home on Aug. 13 and came across a crew working on Silverado Trail south of Pope Street at 4:10 p.m.
Traffic was backed up in both directions. Drivers resorted to making unsafe maneuvers to avoid the situation, a county report stated.
Napa County imposed the latest suspension. Last week, the situation landed before the county Board of Supervisors.
Alan Lawrence, PG&E's senior director of field operations, sent the county a letter apologizing for the Aug. 13 incident that involved an electric construction crew doing maintenance work. Workers were trying to do as much as possible that day and, although trained on permit requirements, failed to comply with the time limits.
The utility said it will re-train the crew involved in the incident, take appropriate disciplinary actions for leaders involved in the incident, re-communicate expectations to comply with Napa County encroachment permits and add extra controls to ensure compliance.
In addition, Mark van Gorder of PG&E attended last week's Board of Supervisors meeting to deliver a face-to-face apology. The company's number one priority is safety, he said.
"This is a safety issue and we recognize that," van Gorder said.
The county initially talked of suspending all PG&E work along Silverado Trail until Nov. 1, except emergency work to be done at night. But van Gorder brought up the situation of a car hitting a power pole as something that warrants daytime response.
Other safety work, such as tree removal or equipment installation being done in a planned and coordinated fashion, will be done at night through Nov. 1, he said.
"We're fine with that," county Public Works Director Steven Lederer responded.
Board of Supervisors chairperson Diane Dillon said she saw PG&E doing work on Highway 29 at Oakville Grade after 3 p.m. That caused major back-ups. Every time a single car wanted to turn onto Oakville Grade, the crew stopped traffic.
She wants the county to work with Caltrans, which oversees state highways, to try to stop PG&E rush-hour work along state highways in the county.
"We do not have any jurisdiction over Caltrans," Lederer stressed.
"I realize that. I used the word 'encourage,'" Dillon said.
She asked if PG&E could communicate with Caltrans that the county wants the same sort of time restrictions along state highways for utility work. Van Gorder said he would talk to PG&E officials to see what can be done for Highway 29 work.
"That may take a little more time. I don't want to say that will happen next week," he said.
Watch now: Vines on Las Amigas Road before harvest
You can reach Barry Eberling at 256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com.
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