Money voted to widen SR 99
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Traffic gets congested daily along the four-lane stretch of Highway 99 between Ave 12 and Avenue 17. New funding will allow the road to be widened to six lanes.
More lanes will be added from Avenue 12 to Avenue 17
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has approved State Route 99 (SR99) Bond Program funding for widening SR99 in Madera from Avenue 12 to Avenue 17.
The commission voted its approval at its meeting Wednesday.The Madera County region will receive more than $91million for the project, which will reduce traffic congestion, improve the movement of goods and improve safety, according to information from the Madera County Transportation Commission.
Two years ago, the Madera County region was hit hard by a funding shortfall from the 2016 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The gas tax revenue established by SB 1 allowed the CTC to restore many projects that were cut, including the SR 99 widening projects in Madera County.
“This project has been a long time in the making,” said Madera County Supervisor Brett Frazier. “On behalf of the residents of Madera County and the many motorists that use this dangerous portion of 99, we’d like to thank our partners at Caltrans for working with our local leaders to make us all safer.”
The Madera County SR 99 widening project will expand the 8-mile commercial corridor that runs through the heart of the City of Madera. This is the busiest segment of SR 99 in Madera County and it is also one of the few remaining four-lane sections of the Golden State Highway through the San Joaquin Valley.
The widening of SR 99 from four lanes to six lanes will be accomplished by adding a lane in each direction, primarily within the existing median in both the northbound and southbound directions of travel. Funding for the project is comprised of local and state sources: Local Measure T transportaton tax, $4,850,000; state funds, $71,247,000; and SR 99 Bond Savings, $14,970,000; for a total of $91,067,000.
The Madera County Transportation Commission (MCTC) is comprised of the cities of Chowchilla and Madera, and Madera County. MCTC is the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Regional Transportation Planning Agency and the Transportation Authority for the Madera Region.
