Merced project expected to save lives, benefit economy

State Department of Transportation officials celebrated the completion of a nearly $80 million Merced County project on Friday, though commuters and truck drivers have been using it for about three months.

Leaders said the 5-mile stretch of Highway 99 between Buchanan Hollow Road and Chowchilla is good for drivers’ safety and for the state’s economy. What was four lanes is now six.

The $77 million project near Le Grand did away with about 20 “at-grade” crossings, where drivers crossed the Highway 99 at ground level. Drivers now are carried over the highway on an overpass where Sandy Mush and Plainsburg roads meet.

“We’re very happy to celebrate today and see that this project will definitely improve the economic vitality not just for Merced County but for the whole San Joaquin Valley,” said Dennis Agar, Caltrans District 10 director.

The average daily traffic volume on that section of highway can surpass 37,500 vehicles a day, according to state officials. It is expected to increase to nearly 80,000 by 2024.

Marjie Kirn, the executive director of Merced County Association of Governments, said the project was about 20 years in the making. “The completion of this project marks a significant milestone for our community as it eliminates the last remaining at-grade crossings along the (Highway 99) corridor in Merced County,” she said. “The elimination of these intersections has been a high priority for MCAG for many years.”

In December 2014, Caltrans completed a $127 million interchange at Arboleda Road and widened about 8 miles of highway south of Merced. The two Caltrans projects neighbor one another.

“The projects have brought Caltrans one step closer to achieving the department’s endeavors to widen (Highway 99) to six lanes from Marysville to Bakersfield,” said Malcolm Dougherty, the head of Caltrans.

Area highway improvements have received about $66 million in Proposition 1B funds, according to officials, a 2006 voter-approved transportation bond.

This story was originally published January 15, 2016 at 5:21 PM with the headline "Merced project expected to save lives, benefit economy."