Love it or hate it, a new In-N-Out is coming to Eureka. The permits have been filed, the building on the future location has been demolished. Things are moving right along. Now the city is one step closer to completing its portion of this project: the construction of a traffic signal on the corner of Broadway and Vigo Streets, in front of the future restaurant site.

When the In-N-Out development proposal was in its earlier stages, Eureka city staff determined that, due to predicted traffic impacts, it would be necessary to install a traffic signal on the corner of Broadway and Vigo to make the project viable. But the developers did not want to pay for the signal themselves. So the council approved a deal with the developers: Eureka would pay the tab for the signal (estimated at $450,000) if developers guaranteed the city would make that back in revenue from the restaurant within four years.

At its next meeting the Eureka City Council is set to award the signal project to GR Sundberg, which, according to the city staff report, bid $349,854 — the lowest bid of three applicants. Staff is recommending the council approve $385,000 for construction, which includes a “contingency of approximately 10 percent.”

“Improvements in addition to the traffic signal include installing new pavement markings, new street lighting along with new curb ramps,” the staff report states. “The project will be administered through the City and be coordinated through Caltrans who will take ownership of the signal at completion of the project.”

The report does not say when construction is expected to begin, but that it is expected to be completed by this winter. Construction of the In-N-Out is expected to begin in 2020.

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In other exciting business, as a part of the Waterfront Drive Connection Project — a plan to build a thoroughfare running from the Wharfinger Building to Target in Eureka — the council will be discussing the extension of one way traffic on H and I Streets.

Eureka staff breaking ground on Waterfront Drive construction in June. | Photo: Andrew Goff

Currently H and I Streets are one way until they intersect Second Street, at which point they become two-way streets for one measly block. The city believes that converting this remaining block to one-way will ease the flow of traffic and make things a little less confusing for drivers and pedestrians.

Additionally, changing the streets to one-way opens up some space for diagonal parking along H Street. The staff report states that, if approved, this project will include the addition of six to eight new parking spaces.

The H and I street project will not happen until after construction of the gap in Waterfront Drive is complete, which began in June and is expected to be finished by later this fall.

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The council will also be discussing a potential new trail project for Eureka. The Bay to Zoo Trail is planned to be an over-two-mile long trail that would connect the Sequoia Park Zoo to other parts of the city. According to the staff report, the trail would connect to Zane Middle School, Washington Elementary and St. Joseph’s Hospital.

The city successfully applied for a $110,000 Coastal Conservancy Grant to be used towards the design and environmental review for the project. The council will be voting on whether to accept the grant and authorize the city engineer to move forward with the project planning.

Eureka Community Services Director Miles Slattery told the Outpost that this project is still in its very preliminary stages and, if approved, the design process can begin. The idea, Slattery said, is for this trail to connect to a series of trails which will go around the entire city of Eureka, connecting to Waterfront Trail.

The Eureka City Council meets Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 6:00 p.m. at Eureka City Hall — 531 K Street.

You can view the full agenda here.