Oroville plans street upgrades, seeks community input

OROVILLE – Curbs, gutters, sidewalks and improved drainage are coming to some streets in Oroville to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists.

The first project, a joint effort between the city and Caltrans, is slated for the corridor of Highway 162 and Oroville Dam Boulevard starting at Highway 70 and continuing on Highway 162 and Olive Highway to Foothill Boulevard. The work, scheduled to begin in May, will include the installation of sidewalks where there currently aren’t any; new driveway approaches; new conduit for street lighting; and a high-visibility crosswalk at Spencer Street. Then, in early 2025, new street surfacing, traffic and street lights, curbs and gutters will be added. The majority of the work will be on the south side of Highway 162 and will “be very nice,” said Fred Mayo, director of public works.

The next two street improvement projects along Washington Avenue and Table Mountain Boulevard are in the planning, financing and engineering stage and the city is looking for community input on the projects.

The first opportunity for the public to see the conceptual plans and drawings for the street improvements is at 5:30 p.m. Thursday when the city hosts a public workshop in the Oroville City Council Chambers at 1735 Montgomery St. Those who wish to participate but cannot attend the workshop will have access via Zoom using meeting ID 867 7864 5568 and passcode 03212024. The next workshop, also taking place in the council chambers at 5:30 p.m., will be April 18.

“The main point of the workshop is community outreach, to make the community aware of what we’re looking at doing,” said Mayo. “We want to engage with the community; hear their ideas, hopes and concerns about the conceptual drawings and plans for the improvements.”

The Washington Avenue project covers just over half a mile from Highway 162 north ending just short of the railroad bridge crossing. This includes the high-pedestrian traffic section of the street that runs in front of Oroville High School and the Oroville City Elementary School District administrative offices.

The proposed project includes improving the sidewalks by widening them to accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, strollers and wheelchairs as well as the installation of ADA corners and high-visibility crosswalks. Improvements to curbs, gutters and storm water conveyance are also included in the project as are street resurfacing and striping.

“The existing sidewalks are very narrow, about 4-feet wide, with utilities in them,” said Mayo. “The conceptual plan calls for widening the sidewalk on one side to 6 feet and on the other side to 8 feet.”

The Table Mountain Boulevard project will start just north of the Montgomery Street roundabout and end at County Center Drive. This project will include enhanced pedestrian and bike lane facilities in conjunction with eliminating sidewalk gaps and improved storm water conveyance.

“These will be amazing improvements, giving us our first north south corridor for pedestrians and bikes into the downtown,” said Mayo. “It’s a chance to reimagine that entire corridor, beautifying it and bringing a modern look for people as they safely move about. It’s a very exciting project that will bring the community closer together.”

The estimated cost of the Washington Avenue and Table Mountain Boulevard projects in $15 million. The city is seeking funding through a grant application to the California Transportation Commission in partnership with the Butte County Association of Governments.

“It will be at least two years before the work starts,” said Mayo. “Securing the grant is one piece but the engineering is the bigger piece. There’s a lot of work to be done before the construction starts.”