Monte Vista Avenue's notoriously bumpy surface may soon be a thing of the past.

Although previous plans to repair the roadway have not come to fruition, the City of Turlock hopes to start construction on Monte Vista Avenue repairs some time this year.

“We are still waiting for the final okay from Caltrans,” said Turlock City Engineer Mike Pitcock. “Acquiring the right to spend the federal funding is a long and tedious process.”

To address the pavement conditions on Monte Vista Avenue, the City of Turlock is currently working with the Federal Highway Administration, Caltrans, and the Stanislaus Council of Governments, the regional transportation planning agency for the Stanislaus County area.

“I am hopeful that we will be out to bid in June or July with construction in September or October,” said Pitcock. “However, we are at the mercy of the federal and state bureaucracy.”

During an April roadway workshop held by the City of Turlock, city staff said that the repairs needed in the worst area on Monte Vista Avenue, between Crowell Road and Geer Road, would have cost only about $182,000 if the pavement had been better maintained. With the current amount of road deterioration and potholes, however, the City estimated that an asphalt overlay for the area would cost approximately $864,000. Should the decaying conditions continue to where total reconstruction of the entire road would be necessary, the cost would skyrocket to a staggering $2.1 million.

The City of Turlock currently only receives approximately $1.1 million of the $12 million collected in local gas tax revenues, with majority of that dedicated solely to safety work like pothole repairs and road striping. Turlock also receives $1.5 million in state and federal grants for road repair – Turlock’s only source of discretionary road spending.

More information about the possible upcoming construction on Monte Vista Avenue will be released as the City of Turlock progresses with the process.