Caldwell Widening & Improvement Project

Caldwell Widening & Improvement Project

Project Type: Widening to a four-lane roadway with bike lanes, sidewalks, drainage improvements, new center medians, streetlights and street landscaping.

Schedule: Current phase of work is Santa Fe Street to Lovers Lane, construction will take place from May 2025 to May 2026.

For Updates: For project updates, text CALDWELL to 1-877-741-6014.

For Question: Contact City of Visalia staff member Eric Bons, PE, Senior Civil Engineer, at [email protected] or (559) 713-4350 or contact Construction Manager Andres Enciso at (559) 919-5551.

July 30, 2025 - The Caldwell Avenue Closure from Stover St. to Pinkham St. starts Monday, August 4, 2025, through Friday, August 8, 2025.

Please follow the posted detour and remain alert while traveling through the area. Access to businesses and residences will be maintained throughout the work.

Summary:

This phase of the Caldwell Widening & Improvement Project is part of a larger Avenue 280 corridor widening project sponsored by the City of Visalia, Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG), the County of Tulare, the City of Farmersville, and the City of Exeter.

The project team includes the City of Visalia, Avison Construction, Inc. and Vanir Construction Management, Inc.

Construction began on Monday, May 5, 2025 and is scheduled to continue through May 2026.

Phase 1 May 2025 through May 2025:

Pothole of existing utilities
Roadway improvements outside of the existing roadway
Installation of curb ramps and curb and gutter, storm drain, various underground improvements

Phase 2 July 2025 through December 2025

Construct the southerly half of Caldwell Avenue.
Installation of curb & gutter, median curb, sidewalk, storm drain and sewer.
Construct the southerly half of box culverts at the Tulare Irrigation Canal and Cameron Creek.
Modify the traffic signals at Santa Fe, Ben Maddox Way, and Lovers Lane.
Construct the south half of the major intersections (Burke St, Ben Maddox Way, Pinkham St. and Lovers Lane).

Phase 3 December 2025 through Summer 2026

Construct the northerly half of Caldwell Avenue.
Installation of curb & gutter, median curb, sidewalk, storm drain and sewer.
Construct the north half of box culverts at the Tulare Irrigation Canal and Cameron Creek.
Construct the north half of the major intersections (Burke St, Ben Maddox Way, Pinkham St. and Lovers Lane)

This project includes the reconstruction of major intersections. To help keep traffic flowing, one intersection will be reconstructed at a time, and may involve a two to three day detour as necessary. Any detours will be advertised a minimum of seven days in advance for each location.

City staff are working with the contractor to reconstruct each intersection as quickly as possible with limited impacts to the traffic.

When completed, the Avenue 280 project will provide a four-lane divided roadway from State Route 99 to the City of Exeter. The project is being constructed in stages by the above agencies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Will I still be able to drive down Caldwell during construction?

Yes. Traffic will continue to flow through Caldwell Avenue during construction. We ask that travelers slow for the cone zone and understand that temporary detours may be put in place.

Will shops and businesses be open during construction?

Yes. The contractor will provide access points to all shops and businesses. Access points may change during construction.

Will driveways be open during construction?

Yes. The contractor will build temporary ramps to allow vehicles access to driveways. Where there are multiple access points, some driveways will be closed.

Some driveways will be demolished and rebuilt. If there is only one driveway at these locations, the driveway will be reconstructed one half at a time.

What is Full Depth Reclamation with Cement (FDR-C)?

Full Depth Reclamation with Cement is an alternative to conventional paving. Conventional paving removes all material to the depth of the base soil. The base soil is compacted then the aggregate base section is put down and compacted. Finally, the asphalt layer is applied and compacted. The material removed must be hauled away. Aggregate base and asphalt are delivered to the site by material suppliers. FDR only removes the material needed for the asphalt section. After the asphalt is removed, cement is mixed with the remaining soil as specified by an engineer. The cement treated section becomes the base for the asphalt layer. By using FDR-C, the hauling costs are reduced, the amount of aggregate mined or reclaimed is reduced thereby reducing cost. It is environmentally friendly because less aggregate is mined. Fuel and emissions from hauling are also reduced.