Manteca — if everything goes to plan — will one day boast three diverging diamond interchanges all-in-a-row along the 120 Bypass.
Manteca city leaders made a pitch for federal funding to help cover the design work needed to start moving a diverging diamond interchange forward on the 120 Bypass at Airport Way.
It was part of the San Joaquin County One Voice regional effort in Washington, D.C., to promote projects with key federal officials for potential funding assistance.
It would be almost a carbon copy of the diverging diamond interchange at Union Road and the 120 Bypass a mile to the east.
Eventually, the city also wants to convert the existing Main Street interchange into a diverging diamond as well.
Mayor Gary Singh at Tuesday’s council meeting noted the diverging diamond design is less expensive and provides safer traffic flow
The construction cost is lower, the build time is shorter, and the design allows for better traffic flow and reduces the potential for collisions.
The cost savings comes from being able to incorporate the existing bridge structure into the design. It also eliminates the need to rip out existing development through the costly and time-consuming eminent domain process in order to build ramp configurations needed to meet modern-day freeway standards.
Union Road opened as California’s first diverging diamond interchange.
The state’s second diverging diamond interchange is moving forward for the Hatch Road and Highway 99 interchange in Ceres while the third is planned in Tracy for the existing Interstate 580 and International Parkway interchange.
Based on current plans, California will have five diverging diamond interchanges — all in the Northern San Joaquin Valley with four of them in the high-growth South San Joaquin County area.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com.
Read More: Two more diverging diamond interchanges planned for Manteca