It started as a project to address serious safety issues on what has been the deadliest stretch of roadway in Manteca as well as being the most prone for costly crashes.
But when work is completed on North Main Street between Alameda Street and Northgate Drive, the city also will have addressed pavement issues at a reduced local cost and have done so years ahead of schedule.
“It was an opportunity to save money,” noted Manteca City Councilman Mike Morowit who credited the engineering division for making it possible.
The safety portion was 100 percent covered by state dollars as the project scored high against others throughout California competing for the same grant money.
City engineers noted there were set costs such as project engineering and set aside for pavement stripping as well as some pavement related words connected with the new medians that would reduce pavement rehabilitation work that likely would be needed by 2030 on that stretch of North Main.
That allowed the city to save in excess of $100,000 by adding local funding sources from the city’s share of the countywide Measure K sales tax set aside for road maintenance to do pavement rehabilitation now instead of later.
That ultimately will result in the city being able to perform more road work elsewhere in Manteca.
The traffic delays on North Main Street this week connected with the pavement grinding have been a big topic of conversation — more precisely complaints — from drivers.
Ironically, more than a few are from those that have been demanding the city do more street repairs.
“It’s an inconvenience, but the work needs to be done” said Morowit, who said he appreciated people being patient.
The state grant is covering the cost of new medians with pedestrian fencing, pavement stripping, signage, new pedestrian activated devices at traffic signal and a high intensity crosswalk signal system at Main and Edison Street.
Manteca was able to snare the State grant to reduce left turn movements that contribute heavily to T-bone collisions that reflect the most losses and injuries due to:
*High accident rates: The section of North Main between Alameda Street and Northgate Drive had accident rates 10% above the state average between 2017 and 2021, with 19% of the city's fatal accidents occurring there.
*Dangerous collisions: 60% of accidents on this stretch were T-bone, broadside, head-on, or pedestrian-vehicle collisions, all of which are more likely to cause serious injury or death.
*Misuse of the left turn lane: Drivers were misusing the continuous left turn lane, using it as a travel lane and creating hazards.
*Pedestrian and bicycling safety: The design of the wide arterial, with its wide lanes and lack of medians, created unsafe conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Manteca in 2022 identified $40 million plus in road rehabilitation work that needed to be done within the following 10 years to avoid even more expensive repairs.
The section of North Main Street wasn’t on the citywide pavement quality survey.
That didn’t mean in a subsequent survey that it wouldn’t have not just made the list but leapfrog ahead of those already on it.
Manteca will have redone Main
from Northgate to Woodward
That’s because increased traffic loads can accelerate pavement deteriorating.
It also should be noted that even though Manteca has spent well over $10 million in recent years tackling backlogged arterial upgrade projects, the list of needed pavement rehab projects grows as streets age.
When the current work is completed, it will mean Main Street pavement upgrades stretching from the 120 Bypass to Northgate Drive have been made over the past five years.
And with work getting underway in the coming months, by the time mid-2026 comes around, South Main from Woodward Avenue to the 120 Bypass be widened and existing pavement improved.
Initial planning has started to convert the Main Street freeway overcrossing into a diverging diamond interchange with four lanes similar to the one at Union Road and the 129 Bypass.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
