Lee Road Trail Project
A Project More than a Decade in the Making
The Lee Road Trail Project will bring new walking and biking facilities to the the West Branch of the Struve Slough area. With construction slated to begin in the Spring of 2026, the project has been a long time coming and will be constructed in three phases.
Initially mentioned in the Trails and Bicycle Master Plan approved by Council on November 2012, Lee Road Trail Network will extend over 3 miles and provide residents with access to three other connecting trails (Harkins Slough Road Connector Trail, Watsonville Slough Connector Trail, and Rail Trail Spine of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail Network), and offer bicycle and pedestrian transportation to Watsonville residents, nearby trail users, and visitors alike.
Benefits of Additional Trails
As outlined in the City's Trails and Bicycle Master Plan, "These trails will provide a variety of benefits that will ultimately affect the sustainability of the city's economic, environmental, and social health." These benefits include:
- Improved bicycle and pedestrian transportation
- Improved health through active living
- Clean air, productive sloughs, creeks and rivers and protected wildlife and native lants
- Enhanced cultural awareness and education about the Pajaro Valley's Rich heritage and natural amenities
Project Phases
Phase 1: Pajaro Valley High School Driveway to Land Trust Driveway
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Phase 2: Land Trust Driveway to south side of Struve Slough
- Pedestrian and bicycle path construction on Lee Road including a bridge across Struve Slough
Phase 3: South side of Struve Slough to Railroad Crossing
- Sidewalk construction on Lee Road
- Bike lane installation on Lee Road
A Collaborative and Exponentially Beneficial Project
Our Lee Road Trail Project sparked another exciting project by one of our collaborators, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County. They are designing a large parking lot, barn and 5-mile trail system that will connect to the Lee Road Trail Project. These 5 miles will also include boardwalks, observation platforms, 800 feet of ADA trails, orchard plantings, benches and picnic areas, with free public admission 7 days a week during daylight hours. The project is estimated to begin summer of 2026.
The City of Watsonville received an $11million dollar grant to widen HWY 1 bridge overpass at Harkins Slough Road to accommodate pedestrian sidewalk and dedicated bi-directional bike lanes. Improvements are from Silverleaf Street to Pajaro Valley High School. Construction is scheduled to begin next year 2026.
Thank You to Our Partners
We extend our greatest gratitude to the Office of Congressman Jimmy Panetta, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, the State Coastal Conservancy, and Watsonville Wetlands Watch for their invaluable work and contributions to Lee Road Trail project:
| The Office of Congressman Jimmy Panetta, selected this project to receive $1.0 Million Dollars from the Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending Grant. These funds will be used for the construction costs of this project. | ||
| The Land Trust provided $770,000 in grant funding from the Proposition 68 Green Infrastructure Grant (the California Natural Resource Agency) for the design and construction of phase 1. This grant will also fund the Watsonville Slough Farm Community Harvest Program. | ||
| The State Coastal Conservancy awarded a $1,068,300 grant for the design and permitting of the Lee Road Trail Phase 2 project. This grant will fund the design of a pedestrian and bike bridge over the slough, extend the Lee Road Trail, and design new bike lanes and a new sidewalk south of the slough. The funding will also cover geotechnical investigation, the design of artistic elements, community outreach on the artistic elements, and project management and and the coordination of regulatory permits. | ||
| We are also grateful to the Watsonville Wetlands Watch organization who have contributed to the execution of the mitigation project for the restoration of wetlands and future native plantings on this project. |