REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: SCOTT L. MOZIER, PE, Director
Public Works Department
BY: ANDREW J. BENELLI, PE, City Engineer/Assistant Director
Public Works Department, Traffic Operations and Planning
SUBJECT
Title
Approval of revised Route 99 Freeway Agreement with State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) (Council Districts 1, 2, and 3)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the revised Freeway 99 Agreement and authorize the Public Works Director to execute the agreement.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Caltrans has secured funding to rehabilitate and improve State Route 99 from El Dorado Street to Clinton Avenue. The project will reconstruct the freeway pavement and several bridges, but will also improve freeway operations by adding auxiliary lanes. The project includes re-construction of the freeway interchange at Olive Avenue, removal of the existing entrance and exit ramps at Belmont Avenue and at McKinley Avenue, and removal of the Teilman Avenue overcrossing. These modifications necessitate the execution of a revised Freeway Agreement between the City and Caltrans.
BACKGROUND
The State Route 99 Rehabilitation project will replace much of the existing asphalt and concrete travel lanes from El Dorado Street to Clinton Avenue on the north. The project includes replacing several existing bridges and building retaining walls to provide space for a future additional lane in each direction. A new interchange will be constructed at Olive Avenue with roundabouts on each side of the freeway to connect to the entrance and exit ramps. The existing southbound entrance ramp and northbound exit ramp at McKinley Avenue will be removed. The entrance and exit ramps at Belmont Avenue will also be removed and not replaced. The Teilman Avenue overcrossing will be removed. New cul-de-sacs will be constructed on each side of the freeway where Teilman will end. The limits of the revised Agreement extend on the north to the Madera County line. This allows the agreement to also include the new Veterans Boulevard Interchange.
The revised agreement supersedes Freeway Agreements dated June 6, 2013, and October 3, 2013. Those agreements are included as reference material. Caltrans will be acquiring additional right-of-way at several locations to widen the freeway and to widen the existing overcrossings. Additional right-of-way will also be needed at Olive Avenue for the improved interchange. The agreement obligates the City to accept any right-of-way that is purchased for local roads and is not needed for the freeway expansion. A separate operations and maintenance agreement for the bridges and the expanded Olive Avenue interchange will be scheduled for City Council consideration in the next few months.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
Caltrans has conducted two public meetings to obtain feedback on the project. The first meeting was held on October 10, 2019, at the Verdi Club near the project site. A second meeting was conducted on October 19, 2022, to present the Draft Environmental Document. That meeting was held at Addams Elementary School on McKinley Avenue. Several homeowners and business owners from the surrounding area attended the meetings. Two separate meetings were held with Producers Dairy and La Tapatia Tortilleria to discuss truck routes and operations during and after construction.
TRUCK ROUTES
Belmont Avenue is an important Truck Route for industrial businesses in the Palm / Belmont area and also truck operations west of State Route 99 along the Belmont corridor. The removal of the Belmont Avenue entrance and exit ramps from State Route 99 will require trucks that want freeway access to use a different route. Caltrans is recommending that H Street between Divisadero and Fresno Street be designated as a truck route, as the preferred alternative to minimize impacts to adjacent neighborhoods. Fresno Street is already a truck route between G Street and Route 99. Caltrans’ recommendation includes extending the truck route on Fresno Street to H Street. Fresno Street is currently grade separated with Fresno Street, so the proposed route for trucks to reach SR 99 will not be feasible until the California High Speed Rail Authority completes the planned modifications to the Fresno Street underpass to make H Street a standard at-grade intersection. Trucks can continue to use the Belmont ramps until they are closed by Caltrans. The Fresno Street Underpass work that is to be performed by High Speed Rail is scheduled to occur before the Belmont ramps are closed. When the Belmont ramps are closed, the current Truck Route Map will need to be amended and approved by the City Council. The City is also underway with a truck re-routing study in partnership with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and the AB 617 Community Steering Committee. The closure of the Belmont Avenue ramps will be considered in the overall truck route discussions with the community.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and the NEPA Environmental Assessment with findings of No Significant Impact for the Route 99, El Dorado to Clinton Rehabilitation project is scheduled to be approved by Caltrans before this report is presented to City Council.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Not Applicable
FISCAL IMPACT
The City is not contributing funds to the State Route 99, El Dorado to Clinton Rehabilitation project. The project is not anticipated to increase the City’s costs to maintain the local streets or overcrossings.
Attachments: State Route 99 Project Overview and Presentation Slides
Draft Freeway Agreement with Exhibits
Current Freeway Agreement (dated June 6, 2013)
Previous Freeway Agreement (dated October 3, 2013)
City of Fresno Designated Truck Routes