While the ‘lazy, hazy days’ of summer have arrived in Riverbank, sometimes with temperatures in excess of 100 degrees, the calendar has also seen an increase in construction opportunities across the city.
From Caltrans work on Highway 108 through downtown, to utility work on, and under, city streets, or over city alleyways, there’s a lot going on in the City of Action.
Caltrans Work
Last week, the roadwork on Atchison/Highway 108 caused diversion of the road lanes between Second Street and Eighth. Crews were working on the south side of the road, resurfacing the ‘tire track’ and filling in potholes as they went along. According to the crew chief, they were expecting to finish that part of the highway by early this week.
He said that’s not the end of it, however.
Major resurfacing and re-striping of Highway 108 is scheduled to begin shortly after the July 4th holiday, he said, beginning at Patterson and McHenry, near Al’s Furniture, and continuing through Riverbank and ending on the east side of Oakdale, with the necessary closures and reroutes coming in stages.
Work can also be seen already begun at First and Atchison/108, with the footings installed for new poles to hold improved stoplights at the intersection.
PG&E Gas Lines
Also last week, Pacific Gas & Electric crews were working on Santa Fe Street in downtown, repairing underground gas lines, primarily in the block on Santa Fe Street, between Fourth and Fifth streets, in front of the residences there and immediately across the street from the Riverbank Branch of the Stanislaus County Library.
They were covering up the holes with steel plates when not at work and parking their equipment in front of Cardozo Middle School at night. Luckily, school is recessed for the summer, so there’s no inconvenience there.
Charter Cable Crew
One evening last week, a boom truck from Charter Cable/Spectrum was at work in the downtown alley between Third and Fourth streets, between Topeka and Santa Fe. They were working on regular maintenance, according to a supervisor, but the pole there included a myriad of connections, both from the cable TV as well as electric power and telephone services.
Panera Bread Construction
At the same time, work is continuing at the Panera Bread construction site on the west end of the Crossroads Shopping Center. It’s located between the end of the SaveMart grocery store and Oakdale Road.
Last week, while crews were preparing to put roofing on the building and apply stucco to the exterior, others were receiving and spreading the rock and dirt that will go under the parking lots and drive through lane.
Concrete has been poured and the outline of the structure has taken form.
California Avenue Roadwork
Coming up later this summer, and probably continuing after school starts will be work on California Avenue, according to city officials reporting at a recent council meeting.
They said things might get a little difficult for parents and busses dropping off their students for a while when school resumes in the fall.
