In a ceremony this past week, the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG), Caltrans District 10, the City of Stockton, and the County of San Joaquin celebrated the completion of the final portion of the long-awaited Interstate 5 Corridor Improvement projects.
Congressman Jerry McNerney, U.S. House of Representatives District 9, commented on the new technology that gives motorists a smoother and safer ride and congratulated the regional partners on their hard work and collaboration. Other speakers included: SJCOG Vice Chair and San Joaquin County Supervisor Kathleen Miller; City of Stockton Councilmember Elbert Holman; Caltrans Deputy Director Kome Ajise, Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce C.E.O. Doug Wilhoit, and SJCOG Executive Director Andrew T. Chesley.
The $194.5 million projects added San Joaquin county’s first High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes, new auxiliary lanes, soundwalls, and reconstructed the existing freeway with continuous long lasting reinforced concrete from just south of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Charter Way to Hammer Lane. With the completion of this project motorists will see a decrease in congestion, improved travel times, reduced maintenance costs, and longer life of the highway.
“Thank you to the people of Stockton and the region for your patience,” said SJCOG Executive Director Andrew T. Chesley. “The reward is wonderfully improved driving conditions on this – California’s main north/south freeway.”
The project received $47.9 million Measure K funds, the half-cent sales tax dedicated to transportation projects in San Joaquin County, $42.4 million from Proposition 1B, the $19.2 billion transportation bond approved by voters in 2006, and $104 million from State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) funds.
SJCOG is a joint powers authority comprised of the County of San Joaquin and the cities of Escalon, Lathrop, Lodi, Manteca, Ripon, Stockton, and Tracy. The agency serves as the designated federal Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and state Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for the region. In addition, as the Local Transportation Authority, SJCOG administers Measure K, the local half-cent transportation sales tax for San Joaquin County.
