GALT, CA (MPG) - Get ready for a few months of construction on C Street. Parts of the thoroughfare will be reduced to one lane of traffic for construction work on various improvements and beautification measures.

The contractor handling the work will begin to move in on April 15, and shortly after that, it will start the first phase of the project by barricading the north side of the street, between Civic Drive and South Lincoln Way.

Public Works Director Mike Selling said the closure will happen in four phases. During all phases, C Street will remain open to westbound traffic, and eastbound traffic will detour to surrounding roads. This setup is meant to allow Galt Market traffic to flow into town more easily.

In the second phase, the south side of C will close between Civic and Lincoln. The third and fourth phases will affect the stretch between Lincoln and Sixth Street, closing first the north side and then the south side.

The overall project is expected to last five to six months, Selling said, with completion possible in early October.

Those looking to access the shopping centers to the north of C Street during Phase 1 are advised to use the shopping centers’ back entrances on A Street and through Market Street. During Phase 2, accessing the businesses on the south side of the street will involve taking Caroline Avenue and Maple Street. Selling said patrons for some businesses may need to park offsite and walk the rest of the way.

Selling said this arrangement is safer than the alternative of having two-way traffic on C with one lane closed, and it speeds up the road work.

“What they’ve estimated by being able to do this is they can probably shave about two months’ time off of the construction schedule,” Selling said.

The project will add medians along C, some with trees and other landscaping to beautify the corridor and calm traffic. Along with improving bike lanes, the work will also lower the road surface, making it easier to enter and exit parking lots along the street.

Selling called the project “a key enhancement for the city.”

“I think this will certainly provide an aesthetic to the key gateway into the city that will kind of go hand-in-glove with other efforts to enhance tourism, get folks in, and see what Galt has to offer,” Selling said.

For updates on the road work, visit cstreetproject.org, email [email protected], or leave a voicemail at 209-213-5942.