Caldwell Improvement Project

Caldwell Avenue Improvements from Akers Street to Shady Street 

Project Type:  Pavement Replacement with Street and Sidewalk Improvements

Cost:  $10,000,000

Schedule:

 Construction: November 2022 to February 2024

 Latest Update:

As of October 24, 2023: Starting on Thursday, 10/26 at 5 a.m., the inside lanes from Demaree to Shady will be closed in order to rebuild and repave the roadway. The outside lanes going east/west along Caldwell Ave. will be open. Traffic delays are expected, motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes and avoid the area if possible.

As of August 3, 2023: The Akers, Linwood and Chinowth traffic signals will remain in all-way stop mode through the weekend (Friday, 8/4 to Sunday, 8/6) and will be placed back in normal operation at approximately 7 a.m. on Monday, 8/7. Traffic delays are expected, motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes, and avoid the area if possible.

As of August 1, 2023: Contractor notes the work west of Demaree Street between Akers Street and Demaree Street is projected to be completed by Friday, August 4. Phase H, which includes rebuilding the outside lanes of the roadway from Demaree Street to Shady Street, will begin Monday, August 7. One lane in each direction will remain open on Caldwell Avenue during this phase. Work includes full-depth reclamation with cement street section completed.

As of May 24, 2023:  Traffic has been shifted to the outside lanes between Akers Street and Demaree Street. Work has begun on the center portion of the roadway to remove the existing pavement, construct the raised median, and to pave the inside travel lanes. The work will continue through the month of July. 

As of May 10, 2023: Outside lanes of Caldwell Ave. are currently closed. The next phase of the project starts May 15: Phase A. This phase will close parts of Akers, Linwood, and Chinowth for multiple days at a time on different days May 15 - May 23. 

 As of April 27, 2023: Caldwell Ave. Improvement Project is currently on Phase 5. This includes the closure of outside lanes on Caldwell from Akers to Shady. 

Caldwell will continue to have one lane open on both sides of the roadway throughout construction. Although Caldwell will remain open, delays are expected not only during the working hours of Monday – Friday 7am – 4pm, but at all times due to constant lane restrictions.

 There is ongoing work throughout the project.  Shallow utilities are being lowered.  Fiber optic conduit is being installed in County Center Drive.  Video detection is being added to the traffic signals.

 Most traffic impacts are on Caldwell Avenue between Akers Street and Demaree Street.  Pavement on the outside lanes is being removed in preparation for Full Depth Reclamation between the intersections.

Schedule for the next 3 phases of the West Half of Project:*

 (These dates are subject to change because of weather and/or material scheduling)

 Phase A: Akers Street May 15, 2023 to May 17, 2023

Phase B:Linwood Street May 18, 2023 to May 20, 2023

Phase C:  Chinowth Intersection May 23, 2023 to May 25, 2023

*The additional phases in the west half of the project will be made available to the public by the end of May, but are expected to continue through the beginning of August. In addition, the east half of the Caldwell Avenue Improvement Project will follow the west half. Information regarding the east half schedule will be made available to the public in August.

Message Boards will announce the north-south closures.  Detours will be posted when the north-south streets are closed. While detours will be posted when intersections are closed, motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes, avoid the area if possible, and expect delays with higher congestion throughout detour routes. 

Summary:

The Caldwell Avenue Improvements from Akers Street to Shady Street are part of a larger Avenue 280 corridor widening project sponsored by the City of Visalia, Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG), the County of Tulare, the City of Farmersville, and the City of Exeter.  When completed, the Avenue 280 project will provide a four-lane divided roadway from State Route 99 to the City of Exeter.  The project is being constructed in stages by the above agencies.

In this section from Akers Street to Shady Street, the project will upgrade the existing pavement to carry increased traffic loads.  Median islands will be constructed to improve safety.  Sidewalks, curbs, and gutters will be added where there are none.  Streetlights will be installed where needed.  Traffic signals will be upgraded to video detection.  The  project will add conduit for a future traffic signal interconnect project to improve signal timing.  Bicycle lanes will be striped where the street width allows. 

The project will also extend fiber optic cable along County Center Avenue from Caldwell Avenue to Cameron Avenue.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Will shops and businesses be open during construction?

Yes.  The contractor will provide access points to all shops and businesses.  Access points may change during construction. 

Will driveways be open during construction?

Yes.  The contractor will build temporary ramps to allow vehicles access to driveways.  Where there are multiple access points, some driveways will be closed. 

Some driveways will be demolished and rebuilt.  If there is only one driveway at these locations, the driveway will be reconstructed one half at a time.

What is Full Depth Reclamation with Cement (FDR-C)?

Full Depth Reclamation with Cement is an alternative to conventional paving.  Conventional paving removes all material to the depth of the base soil.  The base soil is compacted then the aggregate base section is put down and compacted.  Finally, the asphalt layer is applied and compacted.  The material removed must be hauled away.  Aggregate base and asphalt are delivered to the site by material suppliers.  FDR only removes the material needed for the asphalt section.  After the asphalt is removed, cement is mixed with the remaining soil as specified by an engineer.  The cement treated section becomes the base for the asphalt layer.  By using FDR-C, the hauling costs are reduced, the amount of aggregate mined or reclaimed is reduced thereby reducing cost.  It is environmentally friendly because less aggregate is mined.  Fuel and emissions from hauling are also reduced.   

Contact Information:

Contract Construction Manager:  Chris Crawford, 4 Creeks Engineers

Cell Phone:  (559) 280-9733

Email:  [email protected]