Peabody Road closure scheduled for June 12

  • Published
  • By Gale D. Spears
  • City of Fairfield
FAIRFIELD, Calif. --  Peabody Road between Vanden Road and Huntington Drive will be closed beginning on June 12, 2015. The road closure will be in effect for approximately 14 months during the construction of the Fairfield / Vacaville Train Station and Peabody Road Overcrossing Project. The City has established a detour route that will direct motorists around the closed section of Peabody Road via Cement Hill Road, Clay Bank Road, and Air Base Parkway or via Canon Road to the north gate of Travis Air Force Base.

"The Fairfield / Vacaville Train Station project is one of the largest construction projects the City has ever undertaken," said City Public Works Director George Hicks. "The City appreciates the community's patience as we work to improve safety on Peabody Road, reduce congestion on I-80, and ultimately provide commuting-by-rail options to our community."   

Following an extensive eight-month public engagement process, the community helped the City determine that a full closure of Peabody Road would help to expedite the construction of the overcrossing of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, save approximately $5 million on the project cost, and confine the closure to one school year.     

The City is working hard to minimize disruptions to the community during construction. "Travis Unified School District has partnered with the City to expand the capacity of the busing program to shuttle more students across the construction zone," said Superintendent Kate Wren Gavlak. "We're encouraging students to avoid the fuss, get on the bus!"  This partnership is expected to go a long way towards taking school-related traffic off the roadways and minimizing traffic congestion, particularly in the morning commute period.

The City is taking additional steps to minimize potential traffic impacts to the community. In preparation for this project, the detour route has undergone road repairs and striping for added safety. In addition, the City will place "Open for business" signage on major arterials to support local businesses. And at the suggestion of adjacent residents, construction hours may be extended to reduce the duration of the project.  

The new Fairfield / Vacaville Train Station will be located at Peabody and Vanden Roads bringing Capitol Corridor passenger service to northern Fairfield and southern Vacaville communities. The project is expected to bring more than 650 local jobs to the community during construction, and 4,000 long term jobs. 

A Construction Start Ceremony is scheduled at the project site for Friday, May 29, 10-11 a.m.  Program speakers are Senator Lois Wolk, Assemblymember Jim Frazier, Supervisor Jim Spering, Solano Transportation Authority Chair Elizabeth Patterson, Vacaville Mayor Len Augustine, and Fairfield Mayor Harry Price.