Construction to begin on improving Highway 99 and 120 junction
Construction will begin in August on upgrades to the junction of Highways 99 and 120 in Manteca. The $48.2 million project seeks to ease traffic between eastbound 120 and southbound 99. Many of the drivers are from Stanislaus County and points south, including commuters to the Bay Area. The work includes adding a second lane to the current connector ramp and a fourth lane on southbound 99 to about Austin Road. Austin will get a new bridge across the freeway and a new link to Atherton Drive and Woodward Avenue, key routes in south Manteca.
The project is scheduled for completion in summer 2026. It will be built by Teichert Inc. of Pleasanton on a contract with the San Joaquin Council of Governments. Construction will begin in August 2024 on a new connection between eastbound Highway 120 and southbound Highway 99 in Manteca, California. The project also involves replacing the Austin Road bridge over 99 and a new link between Austin and Moffat Boulevard. San Joaquin Council of Governments
OFFICIALS GATHER FOR GROUND-BREAKING SJCOG
oversees transportation funding for the county and its incorporated cities. It hosted a ground-breaking Wednesday, July 17, with local, state and federal leaders. SJCOG “recognized these improvements were essential to move people and goods within the region and across county borders,” Executive Director Diane Nguyen said. The new Austin Road bridge also will cross the freight tracks along 99, eliminating a safety hazard for drivers. By 2026, the tracks will be part of the expanded Altamont Corridor Express, which now takes passengers between Stockton and San Jose. The project is the first phase of an effort that eventually could involve other parts of the 99-120 junction, if funding is secured.
The second phase could cost about $28 million and open by 2033, according to the California Department of Transportation. It projects a $62 million cost and 2042 opening for the third phase. These phases would widen both 99 and 120 and improve connector ramps at the junction.
LOCAL SALES TAX HELPS FUND PROJECT
Local funding for the first phase includes the Measure K sales tax and fees on property developers. SJCOG also tapped state and federal transportation programs and federal payments to local governments amid COVID-19. The ground-breaking featured Lathrop Mayor Sonny Dhaliwal, who chairs SJCOG. “We’re bringing together our member agencies and public and private partners to build this highway-to-highway connector to serve the transportation needs of everyone who lives, works and travels in San Joaquin County,” he said.