Traffic Improvements Coming To Military West, W. 7th In Benicia

BENICIA, CA — Work is set to begin Monday on an improvement project to the intersection of Military West and West 7th Street in Benicia. The project consists of signal and pedestrian crossing upgrades, including the replacement of two traffic signal poles to provide protected left turn phases on Military West.

Work also includes updating curb ramps to meet Americans with Disability Act —ADA—accessibility standards, upgrades to traffic signal controllers to improve signal timing, and high visibility striping at five crosswalks.

Work is to take place between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and the city expects the project to be finished by July.

Efforts will be made to minimize impacts to residents, businesses and the traveling public in the area, city officials said in a news release.

Using Highway Safety Improvement Program —HSIP — grant funds, the city recently awarded a $366,043 construction contract to W. Bradley Electric, Inc. of Novato for the traffic signal improvement project.

"This grant project and its improvements have been long awaited and will greatly improve traffic and pedestrian safety in the area," said Public Works Director William Tarbox.

The Highway Safety Improvement Program is one of the core federal-aid programs in the federal surface transportation act, Fixing America's Surface Transportation — FAST— Act, which was signed into law on Dec. 4, 2015. The purpose of the program is to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads, including public roads that are not state-owned. HSIP grant funds are eligible for work on any public road or publicly owned bicycle or pedestrian pathway or trail that improves the safety for its users.

The city's project engineer is Danny Urrutia, who can be reached at 707-746-4374 or via email at durrutia@ci.benicia.us with questions or comments.