Contractor will finally bring sidewalks to this mud-prone part of south Modesto

John Holland
·2 min read

A dozen blocks in south Modesto will get sidewalks before the start of the next rainy season.

Stanislaus County got a $2.1 million state grant in December for the project. It is on Glenn and Butte avenues between Crows Landing Road and Las Vegas Street.

The concrete will provide solid footing for residents who long have contended with mud from rainstorms. Some of them attend Bret Harte Elementary School and Hanshaw Middle School, both on Las Vegas.

The county Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday evening to award a contract to United Pavement Maintenance Inc., based in Hughson. It calls for construction from August to October, early in the new school year.

The grant came from the Active Transportation Program, which promotes alternatives to driving. The project also includes painted bike lanes and more visible crosswalks.

The project is part of a much larger effort to bring sidewalks and other upgrades to unincorporated areas. They also include west Modesto and the airport neighborhood, along with south Modesto. All three began as Dust Bowl settlements but now are home mostly to low-income Latino people.

The Modesto Bee visited the upcoming project area in early December, near the start of one of the sloppiest winters on record.

Jose Vasquez lives along a south Modesto CA street that will get sidewalks thanks to a state grant. He said on Dec. 6, 2022, that he shovels soil from the streets after rain.
Jose Vasquez lives along a south Modesto CA street that will get sidewalks thanks to a state grant. He said on Dec. 6, 2022, that he shovels soil from the streets after rain.

Jose Vasquez lives on a corner lot at Glenn and Seattle Street, so he will get a sidewalk on one of the two sides. That day, he was using a shovel to smooth out the muddy path.

“I see the kids walking to school,” Vasquez said in Spanish, “and I come here to clean up a little, thinking of them and the old folks who use their walkers.”

The total project cost is $2.22 million, including design work since the grant was awarded and a contingency for unexpected expenses. The county is supplementing the state money with $121,148 from the Measure L sales tax.

The county also has established a fund putting $15 million a year into sidewalk, storm drain, lighting and other projects. Supervisors in February approved the first round of funding, spread among all five districts.