City of Davis officials said that the Fifth Street construction will be completed as soon as early May 2014. The project was initially projected to be completed January 2014, but has experienced a few setbacks.
Vanguard Construction Services of Livermore began working in early October 2013 with the intention to make biking and pedestrian activity along Fifth Street safer.
They will be adding bike lanes between A and L streets. They will also be adding a dual left-turn lane and turn pockets, upgrading and adding access ramps in compliance with the Americans Disabilities Act and adding new traffic lights and pedestrian activated traffic lights at the C and J street intersections.
To date, they have completed much of the work, said Roxanne Namazi, City of Davis senior civil engineer in the Public Works Department.
“The majority of the concrete flatwork including upgrading the access ramps and sidewalks — adjacent to the ramps — is completed. Foundations for the signal poles, pedestrian signals and street lights have been poured. The conduits for the street lights and traffic signals have been installed,” Namazi said.
In its entirety, the total project is projected to cost $1.9 million, according to Namazi. It will be payed for in part by a $836,000 Sacramento Area Council of Government grant, Davis transportation and transportation roads funds, $200,000 from a Highway Safety Improvement program grant and $50,000 from Community Development Block Grant funds.
The principal reasons for the delay were the halting of construction work on Thanksgiving and New Year’s in order to minimize “public disruption” over the holidays. Construction is also waiting for traffic lights to arrive.
“Street lights are scheduled to be delivered within the next few weeks. As soon as street lights are delivered they will be installed — they will not be energized until we have PG&E’s service points. Signal poles and equipment, Econolite, are scheduled to be delivered early April. Signal installation and striping work will be done during the month of April,” Namazi said.
The street lights are to upgrade traffic signals on A, B and L streets. They will be adding additional eight-phase signals at the intersections of F and G streets and a fire station access traffic light at the E Street intersection.
— Gabriella Hamlett
