Seven major road projects to enhance Manteca traffic flow are expected to be completed or started in the next 12 months.

They involve:

• Adding a turn lane on Airport Way between Yosemite Avenue and Daniels Street as the first phase to widen the corridor to six lanes.

• Widen Louise Avenue to four lanes at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing between Airport Way and Union Road.

• Connect Atherton Drive between Union Road and Airport Way.

• Extend Milo Candini Drive from its terminus at Big League Dreams to Yosemite Avenue.

• Improving the Austin Road interchange at Highway 99, adding traffic signals, upgrading on and off ramps and widening Moffat Boulevard between Austin Road and Woodward Avenue.

• Adding ramps at McKinley Avenue on the 120 Bypass to create a new interchange as well as widen McKinley Avenue. 

• Widening the Union Road bridge at the interchange on the 120 Bypass.

The seven projects reflect a $25.3 million investment in municipal roads.

Funding for the projects have either been set aside in previous budgets or are part of $49.9 million in capital improvements that are part of the proposed City of Manteca budget that goes into effect July 1. The City Council will consider adopting the budget when they meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.

There is $1.9 million set aside for the Airport Way project. The initial phase involves securing right-of-way as well as putting in place the continuous left turn lane.

Nine years ago Airport Way was a road on Manteca’s peripheral. That was before Stadium Retail Center anchored by Kohl’s and Costco opened along with the Big League Dreams sports complex.

The corridor has been designated as a major regional route. It starts at the San Joaquin River south of Manteca and goes into Central Stockton. Along the way it passes Stockton Metro Airport and its surrounding industrial land. It also goes by the approved 3.1 million square feet for the CenterPoint business park where Crothall Laundry is now located in northwest Manteca. Ultimately that business park will have 600 jobs and accompanying truck movements. It is also on the same corridor as the Union Pacific intermodal truck-train facility.

The city plans to eventually widen Airport Way to six lanes between the 120 Bypass and Yosemite Avenue and then to four lanes north of Yosemite Avenue.

Other street related projects being funding in the next fiscal year or else have funding already set aside include:

• Rehabilitation of downtown alleyways.

• Assessing developing existing traffic signals and develop a plan for replacing and upgrading traffic signals as well as assess locations for roundabouts.

• The first $250,000 set aside of a $1.7 million project involving installing retroreflective traffic signs to bring the city into compliance with new safety standards.

• The initial funding to develop a schematic that will allow the installing of traffic controllers that can coordinate traffic flows between intersections.

• The initial funding of $20,000 toward $140,000 needed for a crosswalk on Atherton Drive at Wellington Avenue where the bike oath crosses.