Traffic delays in advance of McHenry bridge completion started Thursday
Traffic delays of up to 30 minutes started Thursday as the final work is done on the new McHenry Avenue bridge over the Stanislaus River.
Officials had advised earlier this month that this would be needed at some point. The exact start date was announced Wednesday.
The delays will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily for the next two to three weeks, said an email from Katie Durham, project coordinator for AIM Consulting. The Sacramento-based firm is handling public relations for the project.
The $32 million bridge will have four lanes replacing a two-lane span completed in 1959 for drivers between the Modesto and Escalon areas. Construction started in May 2017 and is scheduled to be completed this autumn.
The project has required traffic delays at various times, but this one will be longer. It is needed so crews can work on a roundabout that has provided temporary controls during construction. It will be replaced with permanent signals at McHenry and River Road, to the disappointment of roundabout fans.
Drivers can use other river crossings. The nearest are in Riverbank, three miles to the east, and Ripon, six miles to the west.
Myers & Sons Construction of Sacramento is building the bridge. The funding comes from local, state and federal sources.
Drivers can get updates at improvemchenry.com.
This story was originally published September 25, 2019 at 8:49 PM.
