Traffic signals are coming to Airport Way and Wawona Street.

An agreement with Robinson Oil Corporation to make that happen as well as associated intersection upgrades is before the Manteca City Council when they meet Tuesday at 6 p.m.

The $895,440 project will allow the company to build fueling facilities and a convenience store on the southeast corner of the intersection.

That project has already been approved. It was conditioned with the traffic signal project.

Wawona will eventually be extended westward and cross the future extension of Milo Candini Drive and continue into the city’s family entertainment zone.

It is expected to connect with either the intersection already in place that has traffic signals at the entrance to the Great Wolf Lodge or another intersection also already in place that also has traffic signals between Great Wolf Way and McKinley Avenue.

The intersection of the Wawona Street and Milo Candini Drive extensions is where the city hopes to build a $56 million police station.

Traffic signals are also expected to be put in place along the Airport way corridor in the coming months at Atherton Drive as well as Woodward Avenue.

Airport Way off the 120 Bypass is slowly emerging as a magnet for highway travelers seeking fuel, food and/or a place to sleep.

Rotten Robbie’s has been approved to build a 4,800-square-foot convenience store with 16 fueling pumps on the southeast corner of Airport Way at Wawona Street.

When completed, it will bring the number of gas stations near the interchange to three.

Plans have been approved for two more gas stations along Airport Way — one at Danels and one on Atherton to the west of Airport Way.

Another has been proposed to the east along Atherton.

There are now two hotels including Great Wolf with two others envisioned south of the 120 Bypass — one that has been approved and another that has been proposed.

The Airport/120 Bypass area is currently the second highest concentration of businesses in Manteca that target highway travelers as well as local residents.

The Yosemite Avenue area east and west of Highway 99 has 25 dining options, five gas stations, a Tesla Supercharger station, and four hotels.

The area around the Airport Way/120 Bypass interchange has the potential to exceed that

Not only is there vacant commercial zoned property on both southern quadrants of the interchange yet to be developed, but there is also vacant land to the north. That is in addition to nearly 100 acres the city wants to develop into a family entertainment zone likely to include more restaurants.

Work has started on a brew pub on Daniels on land that that was once part of the Big League Dreams sports complex.  

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwuatt@mantecabulletin.com