Oakvale Road Realignment in California
Geotechnical engineering, materials testing and construction inspection services.
Ninyo & Moore, a SOCOTEC Company, ensured the successful relocation of 1,200 linear feet of Oakvale Road for new dam construction, with geotechnical engineering, materials testing, and construction inspection services.
Key Information
Project Name: White Tanks Flood Retarding Structure No.4 Rehabilitation
Client: Michael Baker International
Location: Escondido, California
Provided by: Ninyo & Moore, A SOCOTEC Company
Services Provided: Geotechnical Engineering, Laboratory Testing, Construction Materials Testing, Special Inspections
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The Challenge
How do you Safely Realign a Roadway on a Steep Slope with Complex Subsurface Materials?
To support the construction of a new replacement dam downstream of the existing Lake Wohlford Dam in Escondido (CA), the Oakvale Road needed to be relocated. This realignment presented significant technical and environmental challenges. Spanning approximately 1,200 linear feet, the project required the precise excavation and export of more than 56,000 cubic feet of soil and rock at a steep ¾:1 slope ratio. The work demanded both structural precision and careful coordination among multidisciplinary teams to maintain hillside and slope stability.
Unexpected subsurface conditions also emerged, requiring rapid geotechnical evaluation and design modifications to ensure the roadway could safely support construction activities for the new roller-compacted concrete dam downstream of the existing Lake Wohlford Dam.
To support the construction of a new replacement dam downstream of the existing Lake Wohlford Dam in Escondido (CA), the Oakvale Road needed to be relocated. This realignment presented significant technical and environmental challenges. Spanning approximately 1,200 linear feet, the project required the precise excavation and export of more than 56,000 cubic feet of soil and rock at a steep ¾:1 slope ratio. The work demanded both structural precision and careful coordination among multidisciplinary teams to maintain hillside and slope stability.
Unexpected subsurface conditions also emerged, requiring rapid geotechnical evaluation and design modifications to ensure the roadway could safely support construction activities for the new roller-compacted concrete dam downstream of the existing Lake Wohlford Dam.
The Solution
When the Site Conditions Changed, How Did the Team Respond?
Ninyo & Moore, a SOCOTEC Company, combined geotechnical expertise, special inspections, and materials testing to overcome these challenges, ensuring the road realignment met safety, quality, and long-term durability standards.
Our engineers, geologists, special inspectors, and materials testing specialists performed:
- Project design documents and plans reviews
- Preconstruction and progress meetings participation
- Subsurface evaluations to guide design adjustments
- Field observation, in-place density testing, and engineering evaluations for slope and hillside stability
- Slope anchor and drilling assessment for long-term structural integrity
- Laboratory testing of soil, grout, non-shrink grout, shotcrete, aggregates, and asphalt concrete (AC) to validate infrastructure performance
- Special inspections for reinforcing steel, soil nail anchors, shotcrete/gunite operations, and field welding activities
- Quality assurance testing including temperature, slump evaluations, grout cylinder casting, non-shrink grout cube fabrication, shotcrete panel construction, coring, and compression testing.
- Project management support, including report preparation, documentation, and communication with stakeholders
The Results
What Benefits did the Road Realignment Achieve?
The Oakvale Road Realignment Project enabled safe construction of the new Lake Wohlford Dam while ensuring the reliability and resilience of critical infrastructure. Key outcomes include:
- Structural stability and safety of the realigned roadway
- Verified material performance and quality assurance through comprehensive testing
- Compliance with design, specifications, and building codes via rigorous inspections
- Optimized project efficiency and risk reduction through proactive collaboration and responsive engineering consultation
- Enhanced protection of water resources and public safety for the San Diego County community
The Oakvale Road Realignment Project enabled safe construction of the new Lake Wohlford Dam while ensuring the reliability and resilience of critical infrastructure. Key outcomes include:
- Structural stability and safety of the realigned roadway
- Verified material performance and quality assurance through comprehensive testing
- Compliance with design, specifications, and building codes via rigorous inspections
- Optimized project efficiency and risk reduction through proactive collaboration and responsive engineering consultation
- Enhanced protection of water resources and public safety for the San Diego County community
Why choose SOCOTEC for complex infrastructure projects?
The Oakvale Road Realignment Project shows our ability to manage technically complex, multidisciplinary assignments. With nearly four decades of experience, Ninyo & Moore, a SOCOTEC Company, continues to provide innovative, cost-effective, and reliable geotechnical and engineering solutions in California and beyond, that enhance safety, strengthen infrastructure, and support communities.
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