Work will start this month to cut two “turn around” openings in the median on the recently completed realignment of Woodward Avenue between Atherton Drive and the railroad tracks.

The cuts will allow legal U-turns when trains on a siding block the Woodward Avenue crossing.

The California Public Utilities Commission and Union Pacific Railroad had to sign off on the modifications as they have control over approaches to railroad crossings.

City engineers have noted trains can sometimes block Woodward Avenue — as well as Industrial Park Drive — can sometimes block the crossing for as long as an hour.

It should be noted up until 27 years ago both were rural crossings with little traffic. The siding, when it was put in place a century ago, was outside of the city limits and not considered to be in the path of growth.

Before the segment of Woodward between Moffat and Atherton was closed to allow a realignment and to widen the street to four lanes, drivers blocked by a stopped train would make a U-turn across the vehicle free westbound lane that involved making part of the turn on the northern shoulder, and taking an alternate route.

It didn’t take drivers long after Woodward was reopened to get frustrated when the new median made it impossible to make a U-turn when trains sidelined to allow another train to pass blocked the upgraded Woodward Avenue crossing

The trains — that most of the time block the crossings for 15 to 30 minutes — have been a problem since 1998 when the first tract homes were built in southeast Manteca generating more traffic on Woodward Avenue trying to reach Moffat Boulevard.

The new cuts will not create a danger given there is no oncoming traffic as the train prevents westbound traffic from crossing the tracks.

A similar problem occurs at the Industrial Park Drive crossing.

What happens when a train blocks the tracks, traffic heading north on Industrial Park Drive will make a U-turn and head to Main Street — which has one siding track and only the main track — to cross the railroad.

Traffic stuck on Van Ryn Avenue originally headed north to Industrial Park Drive will turn left instead to make the detour as well to the Main Street crossing.

Sometime — depending on the backup — those trapped between the crossing arms and Van Ryn will try to back up to the Van Ryn and Industrial intersection to make a U turn as well.

The Industrial Park Drive extension tying into Spreckels Avenue did not open until 20 years ago. It took advantage of the old Spreckels Road crossing that connected with Woodward Avenue along the current alignment of Van Ryn Road.

The modifications on the Woodward Avenue median is expected to take three weeks and be done by sometime in September.

The Woodward widening and median was not a city project.

It was done as part of the Highway 99/120 Bypass Connector Project first phase that included the replacement Austin Road overcrossing.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com