Officials faced with a favorable bidding climate and the always-tenuous prospect of promised funds from California hope to start the Dorsey Drive interchange project soon.

Plans and discussions for the interchange that would ease congestion generated by Nevada Union High School, Sierra College and Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital began more than 20 years ago.

Fomented in the mid-1980s, officials have never nailed down the funding of the project, expected to cost $16 million.

Earlier this month the Nevada County Transportation Commission formed an ad hoc Dorsey Drive task force including officials from Caltrans, Grass Valley, Nevada County's public works office and Transportation Commission staff to discuss funding and construction, said Executive Director Dan Landon. A majority of the funding is already promised from the state, Landon said.

“Currently we've got state funds totalling about $10.5 million,” Landon said. The state funding appears stable, but given the state's budget deficit it isn't guaranteed, Landon said. “We're looking at ways to stage this project so we can get it started with the money we have” in the 2012-2013 fiscal year, he said.

“It's a passion of mine that we get this thing done,” said Grass Valley Councilman Chauncey Poston, who leaves office in January. “We've been planning on having this infrastructure for a long time now.”

In addition to alleviating traffic along the Dorsey Drive- Sierra College Drive corridor, a Dorsey interchange would induce growth in the planned Loma Rica development, Poston said.

There is a sense of urgency to start the project by 2012 because of the favorable bidding climate created by contractors scrambling for work, Poston said.

“Contracting costs go right through the ceiling when there is plenty of work,” Poston said. “It's good we take this on now.”

Previously officials discussed using federal grants to fund the remainder of the project, though Poston suggested finding the funding with a sales tax initiative in Grass Valley. Measure T asked city resident to approve a sales tax increase in 2006 which would have provided funds for the Dorsey interchange and a number of the other projects. It failed at the polls.

“In the past when we've brought these initiatives forward that had all sorts of different projects attached … it kind of backfired because we gave reasons for people to say no,” Poston said. “Even in times like these a small tax initiative could pass, because we have to realize that in order for Grass Valley to grow we need this interchange.”

The potential sales tax initiative, if it had a “sunset” provision ending it once the project is financed, would be feasible, Poston suggested.

“I'd be willing to vote for something like that,” said Kara Kelly, a Grass Valley resident. “You have to be smart about new taxes, though. It has to go away once the off-ramp is paid for. But I'd like another option to get on the highway since the Brunswick (Road) entrance is always so crowded.”

Landon said the task force will look into its options regarding the project and report back to the transportation commission at a later date.

To contact Staff Writer Kyle Magin, e-mail kmagin@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4239.