It serves as a major connection between the Mossdale area of Lathrop and River Islands – crossing the San Joaquin River and providing additional access to both Dell’Osso Farms and the master planned community being constructed behind it.

And it’s about to get a major facelift.

On Monday night the Lathrop City Council approved allocating $500,000 to a capital improvement project that will rehab the dilapidated pavement on Manthey Road and Sadler Oak Drive – repairing the alligator cracks, potholes, and missing striping that has impacted the heavily-traveled route.

The work will be carried out on the stretch of Manthey Road from Towne Centre Drive to the bridge across the San Joaquin River and the spur of Sadler Oak leading to the intersection with Manthey Road.

According to the staff report prepared for the item as presented to the council, the project will increase motorist safety by improving roadway conditions and installing high-visibility pavement striping, and the $500,000 that was allocated by the council will allow staff to move forward with the engineering work and construction.

The project will include:

*Grinding and overlaying sections of Manthey Road that are plagued with cracks and potholes – specifically the northbound lane of Manthey Road from Towne Centre Drive to Brookhurst Boulevard, the northbound lane of Manthey Road from Brookhurst Boulevard to the recycled water basin, and both lanes of Manthey Road from the recycled water basin to Sadler Oak Drive.

*Slurry seal and striping replacement for both Manthey Road and Sadler Oak Drive – on Manthey from Towne Centre Drive to the bridge and on Sadler Oak from Manthey to the stop bar at Inland Passage Way.

The potholes that are being targeted could potentially be hazardous to traffic because they can damage vehicles, and the existing cracks can allow for water to seep into the subbase of the roadway and cause further damage and lead to more costly repairs down the road.

Money for the work is being allocated from the Streets Reserve Account of the General Fund.

There is currently no estimated start time for construction on the project.

For additional information about the proposal, or to view other items on the agenda that the council considered on Monday, visit the City of Lathrop’s website at www.ci.lathrop.ca.us.

 To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.