Caltrans plans to improve safety of Fresno County highways with new budget

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Over $200 million in funding was awarded to 72 state highway projects from the California Transportation Commission.

Just over $3.6 million was awarded to Caltrans District 6 in the Central Valley last week.

"We did receive some money here in Fresno County for a project we are going to be doing on State Route 168 expected to get underway this summer," Cory Burkarth with Caltrans said.

Burkarth says the focus will be on moving electrical boxes and improving infrastructure along Highway 168 from Highway 180 in central Fresno up north to Shephard Avenue in Clovis.

Drivers will notice better lighting along the highway and on overhead road signs, a safety improvement for drivers and Caltrans workers.

"When they are working on the road, when they are changing out electrical equipment, when they are maintaining the roadways," Burkarth said. "Right now some of those assets are really close to the roadway, a little closer than we'd like them to be."

The improvements will move electrical boxes away from the highway. Caltrans says this will be a big safety improvement for its employees and it could save lives.

"And we want to make it safe for everybody and that's including the motorists themselves," Burkarth said. "So, if we can get our vehicles further off the side of the road than that makes it safe for the motorists as well."