Stanislaus County defends traffic lanes at Crossroads shopping center. Drivers upset
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- County adjusted lanes on Claribel and Oakdale to handle Roselle detour traffic.
- Engineers added dual turn lanes onto Oakdale to drain westbound traffic through signals.
- County expects yearlong Roselle closure for Phase 1; three-year project proceeds.
A Stanislaus County official explained the changes to the traffic lanes near the Crossroads shopping center, which have generated some complaints online as construction of a major expressway is under way.
John Rawles, project manager for the North County Corridor, said Monday the lane adjustments on Claribel Road, near the Oakdale Road intersection, are due to the yearlong closure of Roselle Avenue just north of Modesto. Claribel and Oakdale roads are apparently carrying more traffic as a detour route while the Roselle overpass is built for the expressway.
Drivers going westbound on Claribel, next to the Riverbank Crossroads shopping center, are confined to one lane. There are now two lanes for turning south from Claribel onto Oakdale Road, but the two lanes immediately merge into one after the turn.
One comment online said most of the westbound traffic on Claribel goes straight toward the Costco, west of Oakdale Road. It raises the question of why space for two lanes would be needed for the turn onto Oakdale.
A Reddit comment chain recently appeared asking: “What the h--- are they thinking about on Oakdale and Claribel?” The chain of comments expresses general dissatisfaction with the new lane configuration. According to one comment, the two turn lanes on Oakdale merge “very quickly with a long line” of vehicles.
The county is building Phase 1 of the cross-county expressway between Oakdale Road and Claus Road. The project will include a Claribel Road realignment to connect with Claus at the former Riverbank ammo plant. Traffic interruptions are inevitable for the $144 million construction project, but engineers are trying to minimize the impacts, Rawles said.
One problem is detours around the Roselle Avenue closure for Riverbank parents who take young people to school at Enochs High School and other campuses in Modesto. Rawles said flyers were given to parents showing detour routes using Claus or Oakdale Road.
Rawles said a traffic engineer looked at vehicle flows at 13 intersections to determine how best to reroute traffic for the one-year closure of Roselle, which began Oct. 3.
The two turn lanes from Claribel onto Oakdale are intended to drain vehicles off Claribel, Rawles said, by letting them through the traffic signal.
County Public Works also talked with Modesto about re-timing the signals on Oakdale at Claratina and Mable avenues to keep traffic flowing better on Oakdale.
Rawles said the traffic lanes on Claribel and Oakdale are intended to be there the duration of the Roselle Avenue closure. About a million cubic feet of dirt is being moved for building the embankment for the overpass.
The county has asked the public to endure some inconveniences during the three-year construction project, which will deliver a traffic corridor that will relieve congestion and provide efficient movement of goods and services through the region.
Rawles said the county has received five or fewer complaints about the detours. Still, the construction team is listening to suggestions and may be posting additional signs or looking for accidents or near-misses that deserve attention.
One person posting on Reddit was resigned to dealing with the major construction project. “I live in the thick of it. My life every morning is about taking alternate routes to get across town. Hopefully it will get better sooner than later.”
The county and project partners have a website for construction alerts, detours and project updates at northcountycorridorphase1.com. A hotline is available for questions and concerns, 209-217-9616. Message boards will provide the dates and times for night closures and other impacts.
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This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 7:55 AM.
