Stanislaus County’s Kiernan expressway nearing completion

Caltrans has announced the completion of the second and final phase of converting two-lane Kiernan Avenue, also known as Highway 219, into a four-lane divided expressway with bike lanes and traffic signals, though some work needs to be completed, such as striping and activating the signals.

The California Department of Transportation spent $48.2 million to widen Kiernan from Dale Road to McHenry Avenue in the project’s second phase, with the work beginning in September 2012. The first phase cost $53 million and widened Kiernan from Highway 99 to Dale and was completed in May 2010, according to a Caltrans news release.

Caltrans converted nearly 5 miles of Kiernan.

Kiernan becomes Claribel Road when it crosses McHenry Avenue and becomes a county road. Stanislaus County is working on widening two-lane Claribel into a four-lane, divided expressway from McHenry to Oakdale Road, a distance of about 2 miles. That work is expected to be completed in September, said Chris Brady, a deputy director of public works for the county. Work started about a year ago.

He said the work has been on hold because a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. gas transmission line was found to be too shallow along the road-widening project. He said PG&E is replacing about 1,500 feet of the transmission line with one that will be deeper in the ground.

The Caltrans news release said Kiernan is a critical artery connecting Oakdale, Modesto and Riverbank to Highway 99 and the rest of the Central Valley. The new expressway is designed to provide a safer trip for residents, whether driving to work or cycling to the store, as well as an efficient route for businesses transporting goods.

This story was originally published July 3, 2015 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Stanislaus County’s Kiernan expressway nearing completion."