Woodward Avenue between Moffat Boulevard and Atherton Drive will reopen on a limited trial basis starting Monday, Feb. 9.
The stretch will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily — weather and fog permitting.
Flaggers will be used at the Moffat-Woodward intersection to control traffic.
If safety issues arrive with traffic at the intersection, the section of Woodward Avenue will be reclosed 24/7 until such time traffic signals can be tied into crossing arms.
The intersection was originally targeted to re-open with traffic signals operating in October.
That could not happen when a fuel pipeline that engineers that designed the project were not aware existed was found in the path of lines that needed to be buried to synch the traffic signals with the railroad crossing arms and warning light system.
The approval for the encroachment in the pipeline right-of-way is making its way through the mandatory review process in Sacramento.
Union Pacific Railroad was against re-opening the intersection with a temporary three-way stop until the traffic signals could be activated because doing so would increase their liability exposure should an accident occur with a train at the crossing.
The San Joaquin Council of Governments in the interim has decided to fund the cost of flaggers for 12 hours daily at the intersection in a bid to help relieve traffic congestion on nearby city streets. In doing so, it addressed railroad concerns.
The closure of the Woodward Avenue segment has led to traffic snarls in Van Ryn Avenue, Industrial Park Drive, Spreckels Avenue, and Moffat Boulvard.
It is fairly severe before and after classes let out at Manteca High as those residing in southeast Manteca have to funnel through one railroad crossing — the one at Industrial Park Drive – instead of two.
The 12-hour span that the city was able to select also encompasses a large chunk of the morning and afternoon commutes.
Mayor Gary Singh praised SJCOG for coming up with a solution.
SJGOC is overseeing the Highway 99/120 Bypass connector project that involves the work at the Moffat-Woodward intersection.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
