The Redlands City Council last week committed $4 million in city money toward the rehabilitation of two of the more substandard of the city’s major intersections.
All told, $9.4 million, including the city’s share, $4.5 million from San Bernardino County’s Transportation agency known by its acronym SANBAG and a $1 million state grant will be used for long-deferred improvements to the intersections at Redlands Boulevard and Alabama Street as well as Redlands Boulevard and Colton Avenue.
The city council on November 19 awarded a contract for the project to All American Asphalt, though the city must yet purchase additional right-of-way for the project to move forward as planned. Initiation of the project is also dependent upon coordination with Southern California Edison.
The intersection improvement designs have been on the drawing board since 2003.
Traffic engineers are calling for the realignment of the Redlands and Alabama intersection to eliminate a 22-foot offset across the intersection and accommodate additional turn lanes.
The Redlands and Colton intersection will be transformed to a “T” intersection and Alabama will be expanded by three lanes. A traffic signal will be added, along with lighting, storm drains and an alteration of the railroad track and crossings to meet with future passenger rail service demands.
City engineers said the intersections were among the city’s most hazardous, particularly the one at Redlands Boulevard and Alabama Street.