With just 30% of work remaining, the Caldwell Improvement Project schedule has been updated. Why make changes with the finish line in sight? The City of Visalia’s goal is to expedite the project timeline, avoid rain delays, evade holiday season traffic, and most importantly – minimize the impact to residents.
The main update to the project will be the Caldwell and Demaree intersection which was originally planned for two partial closures that would nearly total one week. Now, the Demaree intersection will be affected for just three days with only one full closure.
“We know that any construction can be an inconvenience in the short term, but a project of this size and scope… it’s sure to cause some headaches, especially for the people who live and work along Caldwell,” said City of Visalia Assistant City Manager, Nick Mascia. “But we are constantly trying to make things better. That’s why we’ve made this update, to get this intersection work done as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
What A Full 3-Day Closure Means for Demaree:
The Demaree intersection will close at 5am on Sunday, October 15 and will reopen before the morning commute on Wednesday, October 18. This means there will be no access through the intersection, from Caldwell or Demaree, 24 hours a day for approximately three days.
However, local access to homes, schools, and businesses surrounding the Demaree and Caldwell intersection will still be permitted.
If possible, drivers are encouraged to avoid the area as delays are expected. If the area cannot be avoided, Whitendale Ave. and Visalia Pkwy. will be used as detour routes and will be posted throughout the area.
On Caldwell:
Traffic will utilize Whitendale Ave. or Visalia Pkwy. Eastbound traffic will be redirected at Akers, westbound traffic will be redirected at County Center.
On Demaree:
Traffic will utilize County Center or Akers. Southbound traffic will be redirected at Whitendale, northbound traffic will be redirected at Visalia Pkwy.
“What’s really important to know here is that although the intersection will be fully closed for three days, people who need to get to the businesses or homes in this area will be able to get to them,” added Mascia. “And once the work is done, this intersection will be completed. Not only will they be done with closures, but they will have a completely new roadway.”
Immediately following the completion of the Demaree intersection, construction will commence on the intersection of Caldwell and County Center. However, the work at this intersection will look different.
Rather than doing a three-day full closure like Demaree, the County Center intersection will be completed with the original plan in mind. This is mainly due to the size difference between the two intersections and a less invasive need for underground work at County Center.
This intersection will include a three-day partial closure, followed by another three-day partial closure a few weeks later. To be alerted of the second partial closure dates, sign up for text alerts by texting “update” to (520) 506-5092.
What The First Partial Closure Means for County Center:
The outside lanes of Caldwell through the County Center intersection will close – which closes access to Caldwell from County Center for three days. Drivers traveling east and west on Caldwell will utilize the inside lanes and will still be able to drive through the intersection but will not be able to turn left or right onto County Center from Caldwell.
This will be effective starting at 7am on Wednesday, October 18. Access to and from County Center will reopen late Friday, October 20.
Drivers are again encouraged to avoid the area, but for those who cannot, a detour route will be posted.
On Caldwell:
Drivers will be able to travel straight through the County Center intersection. To go north or south from Caldwell, drivers are encouraged to turn at Demaree or Mooney.
On County Center:
Southbound traffic will utilize Demaree and be redirected at Whitendale. For northbound traffic, access to County Center at Visalia Pkwy will be limited to local traffic only while others are encouraged to use alternate routes.
Local traffic will be permitted not only at Visalia Pkwy, but around the intersection itself as well. This means that anyone needing to access homes, businesses, or schools around the intersection will be able to access them – they just won’t be able to get through the intersection or on to Caldwell from County Center.
After the three-day closure, the newly repaved outside lanes of Caldwell around County Center will open and be used for traffic. Then, the inside lanes of Caldwell between Demaree / County Center and between County Center / Shady will close for several weeks for rebuilding and the installation of a median.
What The Second Partial Closure Means for County Center:
In December, construction will return to the County Center intersection for another partial closure. However, this one will not restrict access from County Center.
During this closure, the inside lanes and center of the intersection will close. Traffic will utilize the outside lanes of Caldwell through the intersection to travel east and west, but will not be able to make left turns across the intersection – only right turns onto County Center.
Similarly, drivers traveling north and south on County Center will only be allowed to make right turns onto Caldwell. Traffic will not be permitted to drive straight across Caldwell or make left turns onto Caldwell.
This second partial closure will only last three to four days and is expected to occur in early December. However, all construction dates mentioned are always tentative and are subject to weather, material availability, and field conditions.
To get schedule updates and stay informed as this project nears completion, visit www.caldwellshady.com or sign up for text alerts by texting “update” to (520) 506-5092.
Once the second partial closure of County Center is done, the project will be nearly completed with very minor tasks remaining and is expected to be 100% complete in late December. Upon completion from Akers to Shady, Caldwell will have continuous sidewalks, a median, landscaping, bike lanes, and streetlights.
“We are very excited to have the end so close in sight for this project,” said Mascia. “Caldwell is a major east-west roadway for Visalia and surrounding communities, and we aren’t just improving it – we are making it a complete street.”
For additional information, contact Chris Crawford, Construction Manager, at (559) 280-9733, [email protected].