Modesto to repave 3 miles of Briggsmore and Orangeburg, add airport neighborhood sidewalk
New pavement is coming by January to a total of three miles of Briggsmore and Orangeburg avenues, two key routes in Modesto.
The $7.25 million contract, approved Tuesday night by the City Council, also will add sidewalks in a small part of the airport neighborhood.
Briggsmore will be resurfaced between McHenry Avenue and Oakdale Road. The work includes removing the turn pocket into the McHenry Village shopping center, a tricky maneuver on the four-lane expressway. Briggsmore also will have enhanced curb ramps for disabled people, along with traffic sensors for signal timing.
Orangeburg will get new paving between Coffee and Oakdale roads and better crossings for pedestrians. This stretch is two lanes and less traveled than the four-lane portion from Coffee west to Sisk Road.
The airport neighborhood has lacked sidewalks on many blocks since its founding around 1940 by Dust Bowl migrants. The upcoming work will be on two blocks of Empire Avenue between Tenaya and Lapham drives. Lighting and drainage will be improved.
The projects are funded entirely by the Measure L sales tax approved by Stanislaus County voters in 2016. The contract went to United Pavement Maintenance Inc., based in Hughson.
The Empire Avenue upgrades will coincide with a county project bringing sidewalks and bicycle paths to several other streets in the airport neighborhood. The $6.1 million project is funded by Measure L and the state’s Active Transportation Program.
Details were not available Wednesday on the traffic restrictions expected on Briggsmore, Orangeburg and Empire. Construction is scheduled for September through January.
