Concrete barrier to be added to dangerous stretch of Highway 41 in Fresno County

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Construction will begin this week on a new concrete safety barrier on a dangerous stretch of Highway 41 in Fresno County.

Central Valley leaders, Congressman David Valadao and Assemblymember Jim Patterson, along with Caltrans District Director Diana Gomez, were joined by Fresno County Transportation Authority and the California Highway Patrol to make the announcement Tuesday.

The concrete median is expected to be installed along a 4.5-mile stretch of the highway between Elkhorn Avenue and Excelsior Avenue.

Construction will begin this week to install the barrier between the northbound and southbound lanes and will be completed in mid-August, officials said.

Caltrans said traffic will temporarily be shifted onto reconstructed shoulders for the next several weeks while crews complete the barrier.

Officials said the new barrier would help prevent crossover collisions along the dangerous stretch of roadway that has seen hundreds of crashes over the last five years, several deadly.

Assemblymember Patterson said that the barrier is a step in the right direction when it comes to "completing" Highway 41, but widening the roadway is still a priority.

"We do need to recognize that this may look like a beginning, but it is part of a project that we're going to work on until there are two lanes in both directions and this gap is closed," Patterson said.

In January, Caltrans painted double-striping along the roadway and added rumble strips to slow traffic in the area as a temporary fix.

The barrier construction comes after a Facebook group advocating for the widening of Highway 41 gained the support of over 4,600 people.

RELATED: Highway 41 Widening Project moves one step closer to reality

The efforts to widen the highway are still underway.

Last week, the Fresno Council of Governments Policy Board voted to use Measure C funds to complete the expanding project of Highway 41 in Fresno County.