State Route 32 Muir Avenue Safety Project

Project Description: 

In Butte County on State Route 32 from Gianella Road to Muir Road and intersection at Meridian Road.  Install lighting, widen shoulders, upgrade end treatments at bridge approaches, rehabilitate culverts and install traffic signal at Meridian Road intersection.

Project Location Map:

Map of SR32 construction project

Purpose:
The purpose of the project is to improve safety and reduce the number and severity of collisions, enhance the safety for multiple modes of transportation including vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians and improve the turning movements for motorists.  The project will also improve safety for motorists at the Meridian Road intersection in order to reduce the number of fatal and serious injury collisions that have been occurring at the current two- way stop-controlled intersection.  The ride quality of the pavement will be improved and culverts that are in poor condition will be repaired or replaced.

Need:
The district has recorded a total of forty (40) collisions within a three-year period from January 2015 to December 2017. Three (3) of the collisions resulted in three (3) fatalities and an additional seventeen (17) collisions resulted in thirty-six (36) injuries. Of the forty (40) total collisions, fourteen (14) were single vehicle collisions, and twenty-six (26) were multi vehicle collisions. A number of collisions involve running off the road, hitting a guardrail, or turns entering or exiting SR 32.

This section of SR 32 has substandard shoulder widths, inadequate lengths for the deceleration (turn pocket) lanes, and poor pavement conditions.

A lighting warrant analysis at the intersection of Hamilton Road, Meridian Road, and Muir Avenue with SR 32 indicates inadequate safety lighting.

At the Meridian Road intersection, the district recorded a total of (13) collisions within a five-year period from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020, involving two fatalities and five injuries. Over a single year period, from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, one fatal and two serious injury collisions occurred at the intersection.

Funding:

This combined project has been funded with the SHOPP 20.XX.201.010 Safety Improvements Program and the STIP 20.XX.075.600 Regional Improvements Program contributed by BCAG.

Project Cost Estimate:

 Support cost $7,366,000 
 Capital cost $17,476,000
 Total project cost $24,842,000


Schedule:

Project Approval & Environmental Document  October 11, 2022 
Design Completed 
March 3, 2023
Advertise Project
May 1, 2023
Begin Construction  
July 24, 2023
Complete Construction 
December 2024


Project Contacts:
Cameron Knudson, Project Manager, (530)218-1820; cameron.knudson@dot.ca.gov
Megan Reese, Public Information Officer, (530) 682-6145; megan.reese@dot.ca.gov

 

Traffic Alerts:

Traffic Alert: Upcoming 55-Hour Closure on State Route 32 in Butte County - Published July 2, 2024