Monte Vista Avenue repairs at tracks will close road next week
Drivers, take note: The long-anticipated smoothing of Monte Vista Avenue over the railroad tracks will close one of Turlock’s main routes at Golden State Boulevard all next week. That spells traffic tie-ups for some of the highest-traffic shopping days at Turlock’s highest-grossing shopping area.
A city notice says the eight-lane span will be closed Nov. 28-Dec. 2. For Monday through Friday, traveling to Target, Lowe’s, Kohl’s, Safeway and all the other stores and restaurants at Monte Vista Crossings will include a long loop around Tuolumne Road.
The rocky road to a smooth ride over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks started with a railroad redo Aug. 22-24. The work closed key access to Highway 99 just as the Monte Vista Avenue campus of California State University, Stanislaus, started its 2016-17 school year. The fall semester ends Dec. 23.
The maintenance operation was expected to raise the tracks up to one inch, which the city could smooth over with a small patch job, Director of Development Services Mike Pitcock told the Turlock City Council.
When the dust settled, however, the Union Pacific tracks rose one to three inches above the asphalt, Pitcock said, and a quick fix just did not cut it. Travelers complained of jarring rides over the tracks.
In October the council awarded a $71,530 contract to George Reed Inc. of Modesto to angle the road up and over the rails, easing the rise and fall over a 30-foot span. The money came from gas tax reserves.
Another street closure will be for a shorter time and happier reason in downtown Turlock.
On Dec. 2, the Christmas Parade will close Main Street between Canal Drive and Lander Avenue from 1 to 10 p.m. The closure will take place in phases as the parade moves through, but drivers should plan on using Johnson Road or Lander Avenue to detour around Main Street that day.
Nan Austin: 209-578-2339, @NanAustin
This story was originally published November 25, 2016 at 2:52 PM with the headline "Monte Vista Avenue repairs at tracks will close road next week."