Central Ave & Chestnut Ave Traffic Signal Modifications
The intersection of Central Avenue and Chestnut Avenue is a heavily congested , intersection in a mostly industrially zoned, urban area of Fresno County. It is located between two major roads: State Route 99 to the west, and Golden State Boulevard to the east, which is the historic, former US 99. The intersection is near the unincorporated community of Malaga, an underserved area where 92% of residents are Hispanic and 80% live below the poverty line. The location is within Census Tract 15, considered an Area of Persistent Poverty.
The intersection has experienced 70 collisions in the five-year period between 4/11/2014 - 4/28/2015 and 3/19/2021 - 10/21/2023. There was 1 fatality - which was a pedestrian - and 19 injury collisions, 2 of which were severe injuries. This intersection also experienced 35 broadside collisions during the 5-year period with 10 sideswipes and 6 head-on crashes. In May of 2024, the Fresno Bee issued a survey to its readers asking them to identify the most dangerous intersections in Fresno. The intersection of Chestnut and Central was at the top of that list. The article regarding the results of the poll and the intersection can be accessed at https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article288302785.html.
The proposed project will replace the existing electrical system with new signal and lighting system; provide protected left turn phasing; convert the pedestal mounted signal to mast arm; improve the hardware, lenses, backplates, signal head size, and number of heads. The project was submitted to the Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) in Cycle 1 in the Fall of 2023 and was awarded funding for Preliminary Engineering and Right-of-way ($148,815). The CRP opened Cycle 2 in the Spring of 2024, and the project was submitted for $1,000,000 in Construction funding, although the signal required unforeseen modifications following the award. An application to the Highway Safety Infrastructure Program (HSIP) requesting $921,600 was submitted on September 17, 2024, to complete the signal modifications.
Location map(PDF, 3MB)
