Section 1

Section of Riggin Widening & Improvement Project: Akers St. to Demaree St. 

Project Type: Road Widening and Improvements

Section Value (Cost): $5,100,000

Section Schedule: Construction started April 17, 2023

Anticipated Section Completion: September 2023

Latest Update:

As of July 21: Phase 2 is underway and expected to wrap up before the first week of August. Full Depth Reclamation (FDR) of the south side of Riggin is scheduled to start July 24^th followed by paving starting July 27^th. Access to and from Crenshaw, Linwood, and Kayenta south of Riggin will be closed from July 24^th to 28^th. Bollinger will continue to stay closed throughout the remainder of phase 2.

Construction of the median islands at Crenshaw and Kayenta will start on July 25^th.

Transition to phase 3 will start July 28^th, shifting eastbound traffic to the newly paved south side. The Akers/Riggin traffic signal will be reset to normal operations. July 31^st and August 1^st will consist of paving the final lift (layer) of asphalt on both sides of Riggin. During paving, there will be intermittent closures on the north and south sides of Riggin at Crenshaw, Linwood, Bollinger, and Kayenta.

Except for a few final touches, the construction of Riggin between Akers and Demaree should be completed before the start of school on August 10^th. 

As of June 15: Phase 2 has begun and is expected to end in August (subject to change). This phase will begin work on the south side of Riggin. Drivers will be traveling on the newly improved north side of Riggin for this phase of the project. Riggin will remain open at all times with one lane open in each direction. Some side streets will be closed at various times through August. When they are closed, drivers will NOT be able to access Riggin from these streets and they will NOT be able to turn onto these streets from Riggin.

Affected Streets:

As of May 30: There will be 24-hour access closures at Kayenta and Crenshaw June 5 - June 9. Riggin will remain open with one lane of travel in each direction during this time as Phase 1 concludes. Residents who typically use Kayenta or Crenshaw for access to neighborhoods will be able to utilize Akers and Demaree for access. Phase 2 of the Riggin Widening Project begins June 15. 

As of April 17: Construction of Section 1 Phase 1 has started and all traffic has been moved to the south half of Riggin starting just west of Akers. Traffic delays are expected and motorists are encouraged to avoid the area if possible. 

Section Summary:

This section of the Riggin Widening & Improvement Project will include widening the existing roadway from 2 to 4 lanes, the addition of a median with trees and streetlights, buffered bike lanes, and new sidewalk along the ponding basin.

This section will be constructed in multiple phases.

Phase 1 will consist of constructing the north half of Riggin. This will impact access to the neighborhoods north of Riggin off Crenshaw and Kayenta. Residents in these neighborhoods will still have access off Akers and Demaree at all times, and solid waste service will continue as usual. Both Crenshaw and Kayenta to the north of Riggin will experience intermittent closures. Both streets will be closed continuously for no more than a week at a time but may also be closed regularly between 9 am and 3 pm.

Phase 2 will reconstruct and improve the south half of Riggin. Through traffic will be shifted to the freshly-paved northern half for this phase. Access to the neighborhoods south of Riggin off Crenshaw, Linwood, Bollinger, and Kayenta will be impacted. Residents in these neighborhoods are will still have access off Akers, Demaree, and south on Linwood at all times, and solid waste service will continue as usual.  Crenshaw, Linwood, and Kayenta to the south of Riggin will experience intermittent closures and may be closed regularly between 9 am and 3 pm while Bollinger will be closed for the duration of phase 2.

Phase 3 will consist of constructing the median islands at Crenshaw and Kayenta, paving the final layer of asphalt, and striping (painting) the new road markings. There will be no left turn access at Crenshaw or Kayenta during this phase.

Riggin will remain open with one lane of travel in each direction at all times throughout all phases of the project, but speed will be reduced to 30 mph for the safety of both the public and the construction workers. Commuters traveling through the area should expect delays and are advised to take alternate routes.

FAQs:

 Where is this project located?

 In Northwest Visalia on Riggin Avenue (Avenue 312) between Akers Street and Demaree Street.

What are the purposes of this project?

 To widen and improve the arterial roadway to serve anticipated traffic.

 What is the scope of this project?

 To widen the existing roadway between Akers and Kayenta from 2 lanes to 4 lanes with buffered bike lanes and medians with streetlights and trees. The project will include the installation of six fire hydrants, two bus turnouts and one improved bus pad, and sidewalk along Modoc Basin on the north side of Riggin between Crenshaw and Kayenta.

Section Contact Information:

Project Manager:

Katherine Woodhull-Fuget

Assistant Engineer

O: 559-713-4447