South Avenue Improvement Project completed

Lights are on and traffic is flowing at the newly remodeled Interstate 5, South Avenue interchange.

The completed construction project made improvements to the I-5 and South Avenue interchange and the South Avenue and Highway 99W intersection with the installation of three sets of traffic lights, upgraded roadway pavement and restructuring of northbound freeway on- and off-ramps.

The completion is Phase I of the South Avenue Interchange Project, which was a $10 million undertaking that received $5.9 million through Prop 1B through the approval of the Tehama County Transportation Commission.

Funding for Phase 2 has been requested, but is not yet available. That phase of the project will include the South Avenue overcrossing of Interstate 5 being replaced, the reconstruction of southbound on- and off-ramps, and the realignment of Barham Avenue.

The project's construction was by Knife River Construction of Chico.

Plans to change the intersection began nearly 15 years ago and the project planning began in 2000.

The intersection is a halfway point between Los Angeles and Portland, Ore., on Interstate 5, which is considered to be the economical backbone of not only Tehama County, but for the state because of the goods, exchanges, people and equipment that is continuously moves up and down the state.

In recent years, the necessity to realign and widen the on- and off-ramps became apparent as vehicles were backing up on the freeway at the intersections.

On Tuesday, Flying J Truck Stop, located at the corner of South Avenue and Highway 99W, hosted the construction project's ribbon cutting ceremony.

"Not one complaint. Not one single complaint," said Mayor Gary Strack during the ceremony. "In the 30 years I have been a part of the City of Corning, this is one of the biggest projects we have been involved with — not one complaint."

Though brief, Strack's to-the-point comments were the icing on the cake, following the speeches of Barbara O'Keeffe, Tehama County Transportation Commission deputy director, Gary Antone, executive director of the Tehama County Transportation Commission, and John Bulinski, California Department of Transportation District 2 director.

"I want to express my thanks to the City of Corning and Tehama County residents for their patience." Bulinski said.

Antone emphasized how it was a regional project where representatives from Caltrans District 2, Corning Public Works, the Tehama County Board of Supervisors, Corning representatives, Tehama County Transit Agency, the Transportation Technical Advisory Committee and the Tehama County Transportation Commission worked together to solve the problem with the intersections.

"The spirit of collaboration and dedication guided TTAC members, Commission Staff and Caltrans District 2 Staff through endless hours of work for each phase of the project. Significant time and energy has been expended to achieve the results that we see today." Antone said.

He also mentioned the dedication it took to complete the project with limited funds during a difficult economic time.