Manteca is getting in excess of $4 million in key street improvements without tapping into the city’s general fund or using fees paid for growth that go toward major road projects.

The work centers around accessing the new Austin Road interchange being built that’s part of the 120 Bypass/Highway 99 Connector Project being overseen by the San Joaquin Council of Governments.

Traffic signals have been put in place at Woodward Avenue and Atherton Drive.

Additional signals are also in the process of being placed at Moffat Boulevard and Woodward Avenue where a new 90-degree T-intersection is being constructed along with new warning signals at a railroad crossing that conforms to the new alignment.

It eliminates an angled intersection and stop sign on Woodward at Moffat as well as replaces the two-lane former country road.

Mayor Gary Singh, who represents Manteca on the SJCOG board, noted it is work the city likely would have had to do in the next 10 to 20 years absent of the Austin Road interchange project.

“It will be a significant improvement in traffic flow,” Singh said.

The project — thanks to the new Austin Road bridge clearing the railroad tracks as well — eliminates the four-way stop on Moffat at Austin as Singh pointed out.

“We seem to forget about it, but it is Manteca’s first grade separation (of the railroad tracks),” the mayor noted.

Manteca will also get two more signalized intersections on a new road that will make traffic movements to and from the interchange work in the southeast portion of the city.

The set of signals bookend the new connector street between Austin Road and Atherton Drive.

SJCOG named the road Singh Street as a nod to the growing Punjabi American population in Manteca and not after the mayor per se.

Singh, which means lion, is a widely used religion surname inserted into the names of Sikhs. The female equivalent is Kaur, which means princess.

Singh noted the road improvements align with the current council’s position of putting in street upgrades when new work occurs that handles projected growth needs 10 to 20 years in the future as opposed to addressing just short range problems.

It is what motivated the council during Ben Cantu’s term as mayor to invest $6 million to $8 million in road funds Manteca controlled to pay for oversizing the replacement interchange for Austin Road to be four lanes with a bridge deck mirroring that of the Lathrop Road interchange on Highway 99.

The state was only willing to pay for a two-lane overpass based on current Austin Road traffic loads

Based on recent projects to widen two lane overpasses to four lanes, it would cost in excess of $20 million in today’s dollars if Manteca had to add two lanes at a later date to a new two lane bridge.

Woodward & Main signals

Singh also confirmed the City of Manteca has been informed by a private developer that the long-awaited traffic signal project at Woodward Avenue and Main Street is ready to go to bid.

 The work includes making travel lane improvements at the intersection.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com