180 In Fresno Widening

[Voyager]

How far outside of the city are they going to make 180 into freeway status?

EDIT: Changed icon. --roadfro

[Alex]

Shouldn't the topic read "180 in Fresno Extending"? 

[Voyager]

Good point. However I'm too lazy to change it.

[TheStranger]

Honestly I've always been surprised that 180 has never been extended, as a signed designation, between Route 33 and I-5 to provide a navigational link from the Interstate straight into Fresno.  (It IS part of the legislative definition.)

[mapman]

In the short-term, the CA 180 freeway will be extended westward to near Brawley Road in west Fresno.  (Caltrans says that this should be built and open by now).  To the west, the freeway is being extended within Fresno from Clovis Avenue to just east of Temperance Avenue, with the freeway slated to open at the end of 2010.

Regarding TheStranger's question, in 2002, Caltrans began once again looking into that extension from CA 33 to I-5. Dubbed the "Westside Expressway," they are studying multiple alignments for the extension, in order to choose THE official alignment.  The current expected completion date for the environmental document on this project is January 2010.

[Voyager]

Interesting, they really do need a lower central valley connector.

[njroadhorse]

Yeah, then at least Fresno would have an indirect Interstate connection

[Voyager]

At least until I-7 is opened.

[mapman]

Well, Caltrans could convert the remainder of CA 180 between Fresno and I-5 into a freeway and make it an interstate ... say, I-705 (the only I-x05 left)?  Might be cheaper than upgrading CA 99 to interstate standards (think about the cost of all those I-7 signs!).   

[Voyager]

705 is taken...or is that 710?

[njroadhorse]

705 is taken...or is that 710?

That would be 710 in LA 

[TheStranger]

705 is taken...or is that 710?

Technically 305 is taken (though has never been signed or used by CalTrans); 705 is available.

[andy3175]

News on expansion/conversion of more segments of SR 180 from conventional highway to expressway, this time looking east of the city:

http://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/Caltrans-Completes-Segment-of-SR-180/24349/

Continuing the push to improve transportation in the Fresno area, Caltrans and the Fresno County Transportation Authority recently celebrated the completion of the second segment of a project that is upgrading 13 mi. (20.9 km) of the Kings Canyon Expressway (SR-180) from a two-lane highway to a four lane expressway. ...

The 3-mi. (4.8 km) section stretches from just east of Quality Avenue to just west of Smith Avenue near Centerville.

Caltrans began improving the Kings Canyon Expressway in 2009 when it widened 6 mi. (9.6 km) of the route between Temperance Avenue and Academy Avenue. With completion of the second segment, nearly 9 mi. (14.5 km) of the route have been upgraded. As funding becomes available, the final 4.5-mi. (7.2 km) segment from Smith Avenue to just east of Frankwood Avenue will be constructed, creating a total of 13.2 mi. (21.2 km) of new, four-lane expressway.

The price tag for the second segment was $37.6 million, including $11.5 million from Proposition 1B, a 2006 voter-approved transportation bond. To date, more than $18 billion in Proposition 1B funding has been put to work statewide for transportation purposes. State and local partnership programs and Measure "C" , a half-cent local sales tax dedicated for transportation, also contributed towards the overall cost of Segment Two.

[Henry]

At least until I-7 is opened.

Well, Caltrans could convert the remainder of CA 180 between Fresno and I-5 into a freeway and make it an interstate ... say, I-705 (the only I-x05 left)?  Might be cheaper than upgrading CA 99 to interstate standards (think about the cost of all those I-7 signs!).   

Either that or I-9

And it would be great to have a CA 180 freeway go all the way to I-5.

[kkt]

At least until I-7 is opened.

Well, Caltrans could convert the remainder of CA 180 between Fresno and I-5 into a freeway and make it an interstate ... say, I-705 (the only I-x05 left)?  Might be cheaper than upgrading CA 99 to interstate standards (think about the cost of all those I-7 signs!).   

Either that or I-9

And it would be great to have a CA 180 freeway go all the way to I-5.

I think CA 152 as a freeway between  CA 99 I-7 I-9 and I-5 would be a better choice. 

[NE2]

Holy crap, a vep cat thread.

[DTComposer]

And it would be great to have a CA 180 freeway go all the way to I-5.

I think CA 152 as a freeway between  CA 99 and I-5 would be a better choice. 

Agreed. CA-152 is already four-lane divided between CA-99 and CA-156, already has several interchanges, and the Los Banos bypass is well into the planning stages. Converting it to freeway from US-101 to CA-99 should have happened twenty years ago or more.

[splashflash]

News on expansion/conversion of more segments of SR 180 from conventional highway to expressway, this time looking east of the city:

http://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/Caltrans-Completes-Segment-of-SR-180/24349/

Continuing the push to improve transportation in the Fresno area, Caltrans and the Fresno County Transportation Authority recently celebrated the completion of the second segment of a project that is upgrading 13 mi. (20.9 km) of the Kings Canyon Expressway (SR-180) from a two-lane highway to a four lane expressway. ...

The 3-mi. (4.8 km) section stretches from just east of Quality Avenue to just west of Smith Avenue near Centerville.

Caltrans began improving the Kings Canyon Expressway in 2009 when it widened 6 mi. (9.6 km) of the route between Temperance Avenue and Academy Avenue. With completion of the second segment, nearly 9 mi. (14.5 km) of the route have been upgraded. As funding becomes available, the final 4.5-mi. (7.2 km) segment from Smith Avenue to just east of Frankwood Avenue will be constructed, creating a total of 13.2 mi. (21.2 km) of new, four-lane expressway.

The price tag for the second segment was $37.6 million, including $11.5 million from Proposition 1B, a 2006 voter-approved transportation bond. To date, more than $18 billion in Proposition 1B funding has been put to work statewide for transportation purposes. State and local partnership programs and Measure "C" , a half-cent local sales tax dedicated for transportation, also contributed towards the overall cost of Segment Two.

The latest:
https://abc30.com/5917569/

Highway 180 to shift to new expressway near Centerville and Minkler


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Highway 180 to shift to new expressway near Centerville and Minkler

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The new State Route 180 Expressway in eastern Fresno County will partially open Monday night.

Updated 39 minutes ago
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Caltrans wants drivers to know the partial opening of the State Route 180 Expressway in eastern Fresno County starts Monday night.

Traffic will be transitioned from the old Kings Canyon Road to the new alignment of Highway 180.

It involves at least 12 hours of night-time traffic control with flagging operations in multiple locations.

Also, new traffic patterns will be in place for businesses along the old Kings Canyon Road in Centerville and Minkler.

The transition starts Monday at 6 pm and is scheduled to be finished by 6 am Tuesday.

Some motorists could experience delays between 30 to 45 minutes.

[Max Rockatansky]

While 180 certainly was haggard in Centerville and Minkler I never thought it had overwhelming traffic east of McCall and Sanger.  Granted I'm not complaining about being able to get to Kings Canyon National Park even faster now.  I kind of wonder how the Blossom Trail and Orange Blossom Trail will be realigned given the new expressway ends East of the Schoolhouse Cafe on Frankwood. 

[theroadwayone]

705 is taken...or is that 710?

Technically 305 is taken (though has never been signed or used by CalTrans); 705 is available.

But think about it; I-5 in CA would join I-90 in NY as the only interstates to have a full set of 3dis in one state.

[Max Rockatansky]

705 is taken...or is that 710?

Technically 305 is taken (though has never been signed or used by CalTrans); 705 is available.

But think about it; I-5 in CA would join I-90 in NY as the only interstates to have a full set of 3dis in one state.

I-305 isn't recognized by the State Legislature, for all intents and purposes on the state level it is available. 

[TheStranger]

705 is taken...or is that 710?

Technically 305 is taken (though has never been signed or used by CalTrans); 705 is available.

But think about it; I-5 in CA would join I-90 in NY as the only interstates to have a full set of 3dis in one state.

705 still is available (11 years after I posted the initial comment above) and there aren't any obvious places where the state would be building a spur freeway off of I-5 anytime soon.

[sparker]

While 180 certainly was haggard in Centerville and Minkler I never thought it had overwhelming traffic east of McCall and Sanger.  Granted I'm not complaining about being able to get to Kings Canyon National Park even faster now.  I kind of wonder how the Blossom Trail and Orange Blossom Trail will be realigned given the new expressway ends East of the Schoolhouse Cafe on Frankwood. 

While clearly a tourism-oriented facility serving two national parks, CA 180 east of Fresno, at least in my experience, does feature a fair bit of agricultural traffic coming into Fresno from origins south along CA 63, which is the main N-S artery through the citrus and nut groves that predominate that subregion.  I'd guess that the expressway upgrade will be viewed quite favorably by both the owners of those local agribusinesses as well as their drivers. 

[Max Rockatansky]

While 180 certainly was haggard in Centerville and Minkler I never thought it had overwhelming traffic east of McCall and Sanger.  Granted I'm not complaining about being able to get to Kings Canyon National Park even faster now.  I kind of wonder how the Blossom Trail and Orange Blossom Trail will be realigned given the new expressway ends East of the Schoolhouse Cafe on Frankwood. 

While clearly a tourism-oriented facility serving two national parks, CA 180 east of Fresno, at least in my experience, does feature a fair bit of agricultural traffic coming into Fresno from origins south along CA 63, which is the main N-S artery through the citrus and nut groves that predominate that subregion.  I'd guess that the expressway upgrade will be viewed quite favorably by both the owners of those local agribusinesses as well as their drivers.

Most truck traffic detours from CA 63 via Orange Cove and Reedley to avoid the steep grade.  I would be curious to see the traffic count on CA 180 is East of Reed Avenue.  From the eye test it goes from definitely warranting an expressway to almost nothing at Reed Avenue. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Paid a visit to the new Kings Canyon Expressway segment this morning.  Westbound CA 180 essentially is finished but the eastbound lanes still have a couple bridges that aren't quite done.  Old CA 180 between Minkler and Centerville is presently being torn up:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLp8hrW