The state highway system was designed to move people and products efficiently, helping to make California's economy one of the greatest in the world. Whether transporting people from their home to their job, or vegetables from the San Joaquin Valley to Southern California, highways make it happen. Our State Route 132 (SR-132), which transports commuters, truck drivers, travelers and others as they depart Modesto and begin their journey to the Bay Area has been virtually unchanged for 85 years.

SR-132 from the City of Modesto to Gates Road started as a two-lane state highway in 1933, and it remains two lanes - despite dramatic population growth, an increase in trucking and the daily crush as legions of commuters drive back and forth to their Bay Area jobs. The traffic congestion experienced by these commuters can be unbearable. But this is changing, thanks to a cooperative game plan by Stanislaus County and the City of Modesto. The County has started environmental work on its SR-132 Dakota Avenue to Gates Road Project, a four-lane freeway that will transport vehicles and cyclists the 6 miles from Dakota to Gates. When that roadway opens in 2027, it will connect to State Route 132 West - a City of Modesto project - and provide a four-lane route from SR-99 west to Gates Road.

"A safe and well-planned transportation infrastructure is critical to the success of any community. As our agriculture and other industries continue to expand, we must have adequate transportation corridors to get goods and services in and out of our County," said Terry Withrow, the Stanislaus County Supervisor. "In addition, the improvement to a four-lane divided highway, versus the old two-lane, slow and dangerous route, will help ensure that residents who have to commute long distances to work each day will make it back home safely with less time stuck in traffic," Withrow noted.

Local residents and others will have an opportunity to learn more about the project, voice their opinions and discuss the plan with Stanislaus County and Caltrans officials, during an October 10 meeting at Franklin Elementary School, 201 S. Emerald Avenue in west Modesto. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. The project plan has four alternatives all will transform SR-132 as we know it. The City of Modesto's SR-132 West Project will create a new route from SR-99/Kansas Avenue to Dakota Avenue, shifting SR-132 north from its location on Maze Boulevard. Phase 1 of that project is expected to start in 2019, while Phase 2 begins in 2026 and is expected to be completed in 2028. This is significant, because Phase 2 expands that route to four lanes that will flow into The County's four-lane SR-132 Dakota Avenue to Gates Road Project, scheduled to break ground in 2025 and be completed in 2027.

A four lane SR-99 to Gates Road will meet the needs of our community well into the future and bring relief to commuters, businesses and others. The County's project could build the new route adjacent to existing SR-132/Maze Boulevard or it could mirror Kansas Avenue - blazing a new trail west to Gates Road. This will require patience due to legal requirements that mandate environmental studies be performed before the SR-132 Dakota Avenue to Gates Road project breaks ground. Experts will carefully weigh alternatives, making sure the final route is the most efficient use of money and best for motorists.

Construction estimates range from $78 million to $143 million, depending on the alignment. A range of costs is typical during planning, until detailed studies are done and the preferred alternative selected. "The County has entered into a unique partnership with Caltrans to deliver this proposed project. We look forward to fulfilling the County voter's mandate to improve safety and mobility in our region when they approved the Measure L Transportation Sales Tax," said David Leamon, Interim Director for Stanislaus County Public Works. "Also, environmental law requires us to explore viable alternatives. We have developed four. It's important that we engage with the public to make sure we're not having a negative impact on the people, or the environment. We want to do it right."

Because the project's timeline extends to 2027, the county has created and will continually update a website to keep residents informed as work proceeds. Please visit

State Route 132 Dakota Avenue to Gates Road Project for additional information and to view the four routes under consideration.