$41.3 million project will improve major Tracy corridor
TRACY — San Joaquin is one of the fastest growing counties in California.
It's become not only a hub for homebuyers, but an area for super commuters working in the San Francisco Bay Area and living hours away from their work.
A new federally backed project is centered around making South Corral Hollow Road, a major corridor in Tracy, bigger and better for the thousands of super commuters who live in the area.
A major part of South Corral Hollow Road is mostly one lane each way. On any typical weekday, neighbors said it's always packed with cars.
"It's horrible, it's horrible," said Tracy resident Michael Woody. "It's always congested — semi-trucks, big rigs — especially around the morning times. It's ridiculous."
Now, the county is getting $41.3 million to expand the corridor to four lanes.
San Joaquin County Supervisor Robert Rickman, who represents the area, is a part of the San Joaquin Council of Governments who went to Washington, D.C., to ask for funding on this project.
"We have a lot of infrastructure projects in San Joaquin County, and as one of the fastest growing counties, we need these federal dollars," Rickman said.
It will also add an interchange to make it easier to get on and off Interstate 580. On top of addressing congestion within Tracy, the county says this will help the city's expansion, too.
"We all know parents who spend more time sitting in traffic than with their kids. It's totally unacceptable. Commutes have gotten out of control here in San Joaquin County and it's time we did something about it," said Rep. Josh Harder, the U.S. House Representative for San Joaquin County.
Some of the newest homes in Tracy are in the southern part of the city with plans to build thousands more. This project could make it easier for the booming housing market of San Joaquin.
"I did that commute, and it just kept getting worse and worse and worse," said Emad Basma, a real estate agent in Tracy.
Basma has seen how buyers have often sacrificed commute times in favor of better prices and lot sizes. Homebuyers are beginning to focus more on price and size rather than commute time.
"You go further, you buy a house that's cheaper," he said. "The jobs are always coming here, so when you go that far, you don't need three incomes to buy a house."
This project aims to make it so the growing community of super commuters have an easier drive.
"As our county expands, and as our city expands, our infrastructure has to expand too," Rickman concluded.
The county is still working on permits for the work, but they hope to begin construction this summer. The goal is to have those new lanes ready for drivers by 2027.
