Drivers will need to watch out for high-speed rail utility work in northwest Fresno

Drivers on West Shaw Avenue near Highway 99 in northwest Fresno will have some high-speed rail construction to contend with for the next few weeks.

Starting on Tuesday, June 19, one westbound lane of Shaw Avenue will be closed between Cornelia and Barcus avenues as crews work to install an underground vault for AT&T communication services. The work will be happening from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through about June 29, according to the California High-Speed Rail Authority and its prime contractor, Tutor Perini/Zachry/Parsons.

Pedestrians will continue to be able to walk through the area, which is west of Golden State Boulevard and east of Highway 99, but drivers are asked to follow lane-closure signs and could find themselves delayed during the work.

A short distance east of Golden State Boulevard and north of Shaw Avenue, Gates Avenue is closed at Jacquelyn Avenue until about mid-July for utility relocation work related to high-speed rail. The intersection is behind the Costco Wholesale/WinCo Foods shopping center at Shaw and Jennifer avenues.

As part of the work, Jennifer Avenue is closed to through traffic between Cornelia and Gates avenues. Jennifer Avenue between Shaw and Gates avenues will be open only for westbound traffic to turn north onto Gates Avenue. Detours are in place to direct drivers around the construction closures.

After the month-long closure of the Gates/Jacquelyn intersection, Jennifer Avenue will be closed between Shaw and Gates avenues for about two months for an additional phase of utility relocation work.

This story was originally published June 18, 2018 at 3:05 PM with the headline "Drivers will need to watch out for high-speed rail utility work in northwest Fresno."