Permit Issued to Allow Completion of Intersection Project

The City of Redlands was notified last week that a permit has been issued which will allow completion of road construction at the Alabama Street/Redlands Boulevard/Colton Avenue intersection. The permit, known as a GO88, was issued by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), allowing the City to construct within the railroad right-of-way on Alabama Street and Colton Avenue. Work on both the Alabama Street portion and Colton Avenue section of the intersection with Redlands Boulevard is scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 8. Alabama Street will be widened north of Redlands Boulevard to eliminate a temporary bottleneck and create two lanes of travel for southbound traffic. The widening of Alabama Street is anticipated to be completed in approximately three weeks. Traffic will be restricted to one lane of travel in each direction on Alabama Street while this portion of the project is being constructed. Construction of a new signalized T-intersection at Colton Avenue and Redlands Boulevard will begin concurrently. During the construction of the new signalized intersection, Colton Avenue from Tri-City Center to Redlands Boulevard will be closed to vehicle traffic for approximately one month. Construction activities will require additional traffic restrictions through the end of the project but no additional full closures are anticipated. Redlands Boulevard will be restricted to one lane of travel in each direction from Kansas Street to Iowa Street until completion of the Alabama Street/Redlands Boulevard/Colton Avenue intersection project. Upon notification of the issuance of the GO88 permit, city staff began scheduling the construction dates to coincide with completion of the current Tennessee Street repaving project, in order to minimize traffic delays on the nearby major intersections. All businesses in the project area will remain accessible at all times and the city is taking additional measures to assist visitors in reaching their destinations in the area. Information will be posted on the city website and social media prior to work beginning. The City Council awarded a $4 million contract for construction of the project on Nov. 19, 2013, and completion is anticipated this year. The contractor for the project is All American Asphalt of Corona. Project costs are funded by a $1 million proposition 1B grant, developer fees, the city's Local Transportation Fund and Measure I revenues. No General Fund dollars will be used to construct this project. The project is designed and will be managed by the City of Redlands Municipal Utilities and Engineering Department. The city will make a concerted effort to minimize disruptions for residents and businesses in the project area. Work will take place between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Weekend and night work will also occur on occasion to expedite the project schedule.