Medical facility brings improvements

The intersection of Solano Street and Marguerite Avenue is getting a makeover.

With the development of the Corning Healthcare District office building, which is being leased by Tehama County Social Services, the four-way stop is getting lane realignments and new traffic lights.

Some of the lane changes have already taken place and work on that front will continue until completed and included turn lanes and turnout lanes.

The city has awarded the bid for installation of the traffic signal and related improvements to Franklin Construction of Chico for the bid price of $252,242.

At a price of $10,117, the city is also purchasing the signal controller, software and cabinet equipment from Cal Signal Corporation of Burlingame.

The signal project is part of the city's Capital Improvement Plan and Development Impact Fee Mitigation Program Plan, and the funding source is the city's traffic-related development impact fee and transportation related development impact fee accounts, according to City Manager Steve Kimbrough.

Start of the signal project is dependent on whether or not a PG&E above-ground electrical vault will need to be moved, said John Brewer.

"It will be expensive to move the vault and so we are looking at some alternatives," Brewer said.

Two above-ground electrical vaults at the northeast corner of the intersection will be placed underground by PG&E, according to city records. Traffic

at the intersection is especially busy and gets backed-up during the morning and afternoon hours when both Corning High School and elementary schools are starting and ending. It is anticipated traffic will increase once the social services building opens for business around the end of the month.

The installation of the four-way traffic signal will be the fourth set on Solano Street. The other three are at the intersections of Solano and Edith Avenue, Toomes Avenue and Sixth Street.