Visalia city council approves Caldwell Avenue Improvement Project changes
Visalia City Council held a work session Monday night regarding potential changes at six signalized intersections for the Caldwell Avenue Improvement Project from Akers to Shady streets.
Yarbs Grading and Paving, the contractor for the project, cited three main issues:
Some traffic signal conduits are shallow enough to conflict with the thickness of the planned pavement design, making it impossible to pave the intersections.
The existing Evans Ditch culvert in the Caldwell and Akers intersection is shallow and conflicts with the proposed pavement design.
An abandoned irrigation culvert was found in the Caldwell and Chinowth intersection, which also conflicts with the proposed pavement.
“The contractor did extensive pothole investigations to identify the depth of the existing utilities,” said Fred Lampe, a senior civil engineer with the city. “Unforeseen issues were discovered… that will result in increased cost of the project.”
Paving equipment can’t pass over the culvert near the Akers intersection; therefore, additional labor efforts will be needed, amounting to just over $38,400.
As for the culvert near Caldwell and Chinowth, the city has two options — it can keep or remove the culvert.
If the city opts to keep the culvert as is, Yarbs Grading and Paving will use a similar paving method to the one at the Akers intersection. The cost is estimated to be around $26,500.
If the city decides to demolish and backfill the culvert with sand or gravel, the cost would be nearly $125,000.
“Staff prefers this option because the culvert could deteriorate over time,” Lampe said of the second option, “and without being able to access it, we could create a risk for the city.”
The last change order city council members listened to was specific to daytime and nighttime closures, as well as the associated cost for the work.
City staff looked at keeping the current pavement design, deepening the traffic signal conduits instead; however, this option would delay the project by four to six months. The cost, if done at night, would be more than $750,000.
City staff also looked at using a thinner, solid asphalt pavement section that can be paved over the shallow traffic signal conduits. The cost, if done at night, is around $386,400.
The last option staff looked at included a daytime installation of the same thinner, solid asphalt — the work would be done as part of larger street paving operations. This would require multiple daytime closures of both north and south cross streets. The cost would be just under $62,000.
Ultimately, city staff recommended the daytime option. One reason, outside of the notable cost difference, noted by Lampe was the noise the local neighborhoods would experience throughout the night due to the potential construction.
“I appreciate the changes to try to alleviate some of the pain for some of our residents trying to sleep at night,” Vice Mayor Brett Taylor said. “I am sure they will appreciate you thinking of them in that way.”
Not only would it reduce noise during the night, but working throughout the day has another benefit, according to Assistant City Manager Nick Macia, as the asphalt binds better.
Visalia City Council unanimously approved the recommended city staff changes. The total cost is estimated to be around $225,200.
The project is split into two sections: the west half of the project and the east half of the project. Akers to Demaree will be reconstructed first (the west half), followed by Demaree to Shady (the east half).
Work on the west half will begin after the city is done with phase five of the project, which is anticipated to last from March 23 to May 9. Phase five includes work on the outside lanes of Caldwell Avenue from Akers to Demaree.
Once the city is ready to work on the Akers intersection — anticipated to start in mid-May — it will close for three days so the outside of the intersection can be rebuilt and bottom lift paving can be completed through Linwood.
Once the Akers construction is completed, Linwood construction will begin moving toward Chinowth and, just like the step before, the intersection will close for three days, followed by construction between Chinowth and Demaree.
“There will be some time in between, from intersection to intersection, as they move through,” Mascia said.
One lane in each direction of Caldwell will remain open throughout each of the construction phases. After the initial three phases are complete around the end of May, the inside lanes and median will be shut down, leaving one lane open in each direction.
The median construction will take a few months but is expected to wrap up by July.
The inside lanes will be rebuilt and bottom lift paving will be completed starting with Akers. Each intersection will be closed for three days with one lane open in each direction; however, the entire street will then be closed for one day due to top lift paving.
This same phasing plan will then be used for the east half of the project.
“The City of Visalia advises residents to avoid the area if at all possible and seek alternate routes,” a Tuesday update reads. “All roads will remain open throughout the construction area, so businesses and homes will be accessible. However, there will be intermittent lane closures and traffic impacts…”
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: City council approves Caldwell Avenue Improvement Project changes
