By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Canal rehabilitation could impact traffic, schools
canal drive canal
The canal that runs through the middle of Canal Drive will undergo construction Nov. 1 through Dec. 7 as Turlock Irrigation District repairs the concrete lining and other structural components (ANGELINA MARTIN/The Journal).

Joggers, dog walkers, parents and students may soon be impacted by an upcoming Turlock Irrigation District project meant to help one of the city’s canals perform to the best of its abilities.

Beginning Nov. 1, TID will be performing rehabilitation work on the canal located in the middle of Canal Drive between North Daubenberger Road and East Main Street. The work will include repairing the concrete lining of the canal, as well as improving other structural components, and will affect traffic in the area.

“During this project, it will be necessary to intermittently reduce Canal Drive to one lane in each direction,” TID Communications Division Manager Constance Anderson said. “Once the work in a particular canal section is complete, the lane will be reopened for traffic.”

The temporary intersection closures will allow equipment to access the canal banks, Anderson added, but will be brief and times to limit traffic disruptions. TID staff has coordinated with the City of Turlock on the lane and intersection closures, as well as the closure of the pedestrian walk path along the canal, however, unlike the lane and intersection closures, the pedestrian walk path will be closed from North Daubenberger Road to East Main Street for the duration of the project.

Construction fencing and signage will be installed to protect residents from construction activities, Anderson said, and it is recommended that the community not park along Canal Drive when crews are working in the area as the construction may leave residue on cars.

“The repair process will use a material called, gunite, a mixture of cement, water, air and plastic fibers,” Anderson said. “Dust of overspray of gunite can be easily washed off with clean water immediately after exposure. If left to harden, the material can still be removed by using a special solvent available at many car-detailing shops.”

As the work is taking place in a highly visible — and highly-traversed — part of town, next to Turlock High School, Julien Elementary School and Turlock Unified School District offices, TID will be making traffic updates on Waze, a traffic alert website and app, along with other social media to help keep the community informed of any delays.

A construction sequencing plan has been created to have as small of an impact as possible on school traffic, which will take advantage of the Thanksgiving Break when schools are closed to resurface the canal sections in front of the schools (from Johnson Road to Colorado Avenue).

Other canal sections will be resurfaced either before or after the Thanksgiving break. The proposed construction schedules that the canal from Johnson Road to Quincy Road will be worked on Nov. 1-16, Johnson Road to Colorado Avenue will be worked on Nov. 17-25 and Colorado Avenue to East Main Street will be worked on Nov. 26-Dec. 7.

For detailed information including project updates, visit TID.org/lat4 or follow TID on Twitter, @TurlockID.