The working relationship between fire departments in Manteca and Ripon will become critical next year when it comes to northbound Highway 99 accidents south of Yosemite Avenue.

That’s because the northbound off-ramp at Austin Road is likely to be closed for a minimum of 8 to 10 years as part of the three-phased $154 million 120 Bypass/99 connector project.

It means the closest engine — unless they are tied up on a call — will be at the Ripon Fire station on Stockton Avenue in Ripon.

And for over a year or so, they also could be the closest engine for fires and medical emergencies between Highway 99 and Yosemite when the existing Austin Road overcrossing is torn down and before the replacement bridge is completed.

Currently, Manteca Fire responds to the section of Highway 99 northbound by dispatching an engine from the Woodward Avenue/Atherton Drive station and getting on the freeway at Austin Road.

It underscores the need for Manteca to tread lightly in rethinking its automatic aid agreement with Ripon Fire that is due to expire in October 2025.

Manteca fire engines have rolled to Ripon 85 times since the start of the year as of mid-August.

The vast majority were medical emergencies when the only manned Ripon Fire engine is on a call, which also typically is a medical emergency as well.

Last year, Manteca engines responded to Ripon at least 168 times under an automatic aid agreement. The agreement means dispatch automatically sends the closest engine company to an emergency whether it is stationed in Manteca or Ripon.

Now that the Ripon department has a fully staffed engine company, the one-way nature of the calls during the past several years has shifted somewhat, according to city officials, although Manteca still sends more engines to Ripon than vice versa.

The replacement and reopening of the northbound onramp as well as the southbound offramp will depend on the City of Manteca’s ability — working with the San Joaquin Council of Governments — to secure $54 million for the third phase.

The first phase that adds the second southbound connector ramp from the 120 Bypass eastbound to southbound Highway 99 is underway and fully funded.

Work is now underway to secure funding for the second phase.

Fence down middle of 120

Bypass hampers response

Manteca resident Kirk Goudy was among people who noticed how the “temporary” fence placed down the middle of the 120 Bypass median to prevent crossover crashes hampered emergency response to Tuesday’s fatal crash.

That crash involved a semi-truck and four vehicles eastbound on the 120 Bypass that also left three people critically injured.

Motorists noted emergency vehicles  arriving on westbound 120 had to travel to Main Street and double back.

One engine company pulled into the median and carried equipment across the fence to reach the accident site.

The fence consists of steel wire strung between posts installed in concrete.

It is designed to reduce the chances of vehicles involved in collisions eastbound from going across the median and into westbound traffic.

Typically, Caltrans installs permanent concrete K-rail.

In such cases, emergency responders trying to access accidents going in the opposite direction will pull up next to the K-rail and hoist needed equipment over the barrier.

Placing a K-rail now would be problematic given the planned construction.

The third phase that involves the reopening of the Austin ramps on the northside of that bridge also includes widening the 120 Bypass from Highway 99 to Airport Way to three lanes in each direction.

At that time, a permanent K-rail is likely to go in place.

Some have mistakenly assumed the fence that went in several months ago was done so in part to prevent the homeless from crossing the freeway given two individuals doing just that in the past 30 months have been struck and killed.

The fence, as firefighters demonstrated Tuesday, can be easily scaled by the homeless.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin