Redwood Way is slated for a makeover in May
Road improvements on Redwood Way in Fortuna are expected to commence in a few months. At its March 15 meeting the Fortuna City Council voted unanimously to award the project to Mercer-Fraser Company, and the work is planned to begin in late May 2021.
The Redwood Way project includes pavement rehabilitation and full overlay of approximately three-quarters of a mile of the road between Barry Avenue and Rohnerville Road, and on St. Joseph Drive (near Redwood Memorial Hospital), between its intersections with Redwood Way and Renner Drive.
“The existing pavement in this stretch of road is in particularly poor condition in many areas, and in recent years pavement deterioration along this stretch has accelerated,” Fortuna Deputy City Engineer Brendan Byrd said.
The project also includes building a sidewalk on the south side of the roadway from the Strong’s Creek bridge to St. Joseph Drive.
“This will provide a pathway for continuous sidewalk connectivity between Fortuna Boulevard and Rohnerville Road,” Byrd said. In addition, the shoulder in this area will be widened and will serve as a five-foot bike lane.
The 2020 design phase of this project was funded through the city of Fortuna Traffic Impact Fee fund, and construction will be covered by a $1.5 million Caltrans State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) grant, which was awarded in the 2018 allocation cycle.
When construction gets underway it is anticipated that work will continue for up to two months.
“During that time, the contractor will have traffic control measures set up, that at times, could include one-way and twoway controlled traffic schemes with approximately five-minute delays,” Byrd said. “No full closures of Redwood Way during this project are anticipated.”
City staff will be working with all residents and businesses along Redwood Way within the project footprint to ensure that reasonable access is continually maintained throughout the duration of the project.