The Goleta City Council has awarded a contract to Bengal Engineering, Inc. for conceptual design of the Cathedral Oaks Road and crib wall repair project.

Assistant engineer Michael Winnewisser said that this project is considered one of the city’s major projects.

The Cathedral Oaks Road crib walls were originally constructed in 1991 as a condition for a development project, and winter storms in January 2017 resulted in a sinkhole, causing damage to the crib walls and adjacent multipurpose path.

Emergency repairs have taken place, but this year’s Jan. 9 storm caused further damage, increasing the sinkhole.

Portions of the multipurpose path along the Cathedral Oaks Road crib walls near Calle Real are currently closed and fenced off.

Winnewisser said that the roadway is safe, but design and construction of a permanent solution is “urgently needed.”

“I am very pleased to see this come before us,” Mayor Paula Perotte said. “I live out on the western end, and I’ve had to hear from neighbors and students and families that used to use that path all the time, and they want to know when will it be repaired.”

Bengal Engineering has been selected to create the conceptual design for the crib walls, which is expected to take place through spring 2024.

The environmental review and design stages are expected to begin in spring 2024, with construction anticipated to begin in summer 2025.

City staff also said that the total project costs are estimated to be about $17.77 million, and they are exploring grants and other funding options.