The nuisance of driving down the pothole infected Monte Vista Avenue will soon be a thing of the past as the City makes plans to begin construction by mid-October.
On Tuesday, the Turlock City Council voted unanimously to approve an $887,037 agreement with Teichert Construction of Stockton for the "Monte Vista Avenue Rehabilitation" project.
The deteriorating condition of Monte Vista Avenue between Geer and Crowell roads has long been a concern of many Turlock residents who have vehemently brought their complaints to City staff over the past few years. The City was even led to hold a series of roadway workshops throughout 2012 to help community members understand the process of rehabilitating a road such as Monte Vista.
"I've received a lot of complaints over the years regarding this road," said Councilwoman Amy Bublak. "I don't want it to go unnoticed that something is finally being done."
The project will include installing traffic signal detectors, installing rubberized asphalt overlay, and striping the newly paved road once completed. A concrete median will also be installed, alongside concrete ramps to comply with ADA standards.
According to City Engineer Mike Pitcock, the widening of Monte Vista Avenue will allow the City to include a Class II bike lane that will be marked with official bike route emblems on the pavement and solid white stripes. As it is a Class II bike lane, the solid white stripes separating the bike lane from vehicle traffic will disappear at the beginning of each intersection along Monte Vista, and reappear at the end of each intersection.
"We would just like to remind all cyclists to be careful while going through these intersections," said Pitcock. "And motorists, please be very watchful of cyclists as well."
While the total cost of the Monte Vista Rehabilitation and Widening project is just under $1.1 million, the project is funded by $140,000 in gas tax revenues, and $938,676 in state funds from the Regional Surface Transportation Program.
According to Pitcock, the City hopes to have the road completely repaved by mid-November, dependent on weather conditions.
On Tuesday the City Council also:
• Allocated $5,000 from the Gas Tax Reserve to backfill permit fees up to $157.50 per projects involving curbs, gutters, sidewalks, driveways and ramps to help reduce the financial burden to property owners responsible for the repairs
• Proclaimed October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• Heard several complaints from the public regarding the growing homeless and crime problems that are currently affecting Denair Park. A special meeting to address the issue will be held at Cotta's Kitchen, located across from Denair Park at 833 E. Main St., at 6 p.m. on Oct. 2.
• Approved the assessment of several properties for abatement costs of certain weeds, obnoxious growth and other debris, and working towards establishing a lien for payment.
.