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AIRPORT WAY UPGRADES
Great Wolfs fair share of the tab would be covered by city
TRAFFIC AIRPORT MANTECA2 2-12-17 copy
The view looking north from the Airport Way overcrossing of the 120 Bypass. - photo by Bulletin file photo

Manteca may put itself on the hook for what would be Great Wolf’s share of costs related to traffic impacts on the Airport Way interchange as well as the Airport Way and Daniels Street intersection.
Making the city responsible to cover the waterpark resort’s impact on the Airport Way corridor is part of a development agreement before the Manteca City Council when they meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.
If the council approves the deal, it will set the stage for the construction of a $180 million, 500-room hotel, indoor waterpark, and conference center with a family fun zone complex plus at least five restaurants contained in a food court seating up to 2,100 people.
The development agreement is the first public statement of the city’s future plans for the Airport Way interchange and the Airport Way corridor that is arguably the most congested segment of Manteca pavement on Saturdays and Sundays due to the draw of Costco, Big League Dreams, and the Stadium Retail Center with a number of food places and stores.
uThe westbound ramp “terminal” intersection would be relocated 180 feet to the south of its current location to increase spacing to the Airport Way/Daniels intersection. On weekends it is normal for the two lanes of traffic waiting to turn left onto westbound Daniels from Airport Way to block the off ramp intersection.
uConstruct loop on-ramps.
uWiden the overcrossing to include two northbound and three southbound lanes. There is currently one lane in each direction.
uWiden the 120 Bypass eastbound and westbound off-ramps to include two left turn lanes and two right turn lanes approaching Airport Way.
uReconfigure the southbound approach to the Airport Way/Daniels Street intersection to add a third through lane.
uRestripe the eastbound Daniels Street approach to include one left turn, one shared left/through lane, and two right-turn lanes with right run overlap phasing of the traffic signals.
uInstalling traffic signals on Airport Way at Wawona Street.
uWiden the eastbound and westbound Yosemite Avenue approaches to Airport Way to include dual left turn lanes in each direction.
The costs for the listed improvements would be the responsibility of future development in the immediate area as well on a pro-rated share based on traffic impacts a project would create.
The development document makes no reference to repeating the diverging diamond design the city is preparing to break ground on this fall for the upgrade of the Union Road interchange a mile away on the 120 Bypass.
It will be the first diverging diamond in the state. Manteca officials have been praising the design as a money saving move as it has shaved millions off the cost of improvements as well as a representing a significant increase in better traffic flow and a reduction in safety issues as documented on other states where such interchange designs have been used.
It also has a shorter construction period and does not need additional land as a full cloverleaf design would require.
Caltrans built the three interchanges in the mid-1980s (ramps weren’t added to Union Road until 1995) with carbon copy right-of-way meaning a diverging diamond design that the city has lavished praise on and that Mayor Steve DeBrum showcased in his State of the City message likely could be deployed at Airport Way and save money, improve traffic flow, and reduce safety concerns.
The city is also responsible for extending Daniels Street from its terminus adjacent to Costco to McKinley Avenue within two years after the development agreement is signed.
A bus turnout will be incorporated into the design of Daniels Street.

Plans don’t call for
separate bicycle paths
on Daniels extension as
council in 2006 hoped
Great Wolf will be required to place sidewalks in front of the resort along the street while Daniels Street will have Class II bicycle lanes on both sides of the street.
That is a deviation from discussions that took place when the city was preparing to break ground on the Big Leagues Dreams complex.
The existing bicycle master plan the city is preparing to update envisioned a separated bicycle path system of roughly 20 miles encircling the city using the Tidewater as its backbone, the Atherton Drive portion that is partially in place as well as the segment that runs north of Lathrop Road to connect with an envisioned segment along the French Camp drainage canal along the eastern side of the railroad track that would tie into McKinley Avenue just north of the Daniels Street extension.
The idea the council 12 years ago advanced in public discussions was to have a separated bicycle path spur on Daniels Street such as exits on Atherton Drive to connect with the loop system so bicycles and others could reach the BLD complex from elsewhere in the city with minimal street crossings.
The city’s bid to shift the Lathrop-Manteca Altamont Corridor Express station south from where it is now located on West Yosemite Avenue to just north of Daniels Street would put the station on the same side of the railroad tracks as the proposed bicycle path.
It would give the city two train stationss accessible via a bicycle path. That would be a rarity as well as create a true intermodal transit station.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com