Work at major Turlock intersection will take $4 million, last all summer

The makeover of Fulkerth Road and Golden State Boulevard will cost nearly $4 million and likely take more than six months, city engineers said this week, with the proposal put out to bid in December accounting for only a portion of the total remake.

The engineer’s bid estimate of $1.9 million covers the road repaving portions of the work. The full project, including preliminary and construction engineering, property acquisition, removing and replacing pavement and sidewalk, estimated Union Pacific Railroad costs for the track widening and new signals is $3,818,000, said Stephen Fremming, project engineer for the city.

“Traffic delays will be extensive, with the railroad crossing needing to be completely closed down for UPRR’s track widening and signal work and for the contractor to install new concrete curbing and restore the pavement surface. Detours will be in place,” Fremming said in an email.

The complex intersection is where a four-lane former highway with divider and entry lanes, running alongside the railroad tracks, angles across a major cross-city corridor.

The redo will create two left-turn lanes, both with dedicated green arrow signals, on the Fulkerth Road (west) side and Hawkeye Avenue (east) side – the thoroughfare changes names at Golden State Boulevard.

The change will better align the through lanes, which now require a slight, mid-intersection course correction for eastbound travelers. It will add bike lanes on all four legs of the intersection, as well as sidewalks and a longer concrete divider on the Fulkerth Road section.

A side entrance to the Turlock fairgrounds, opening onto Fulkerth just west of the intersection, will remain in the new configuration.

Fulkerth is the closest exit from Highway 99 to the Turlock fairgrounds, with other common entry points traveling down Golden State Boulevard. Work will stop or move to the sidelines through the Stanislaus County Fair, which takes place July 14-23, Flemming said.

“The contractor and UPRR will not be allowed to do any work that would impact major events held at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds,” he said.

The Turlock City Council is expected to award the bid Feb. 14, putting the finish date likely around September. Federal funds will cover up to $2.4 million of the cost.

This story was originally published January 4, 2017 at 2:12 PM with the headline "Work at major Turlock intersection will take $4 million, last all summer."