Construction begins Friday on the first expressway designed to connect Modesto, Riverbank and Oakdale, with county officials warning drivers to prepare for major detours.
The $184 million work, named the North County Corridor Project, will build a four-lane expressway along the Claribel Road corridor — including new bridges over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks, Terminal Avenue and the Modesto Irrigation District canal.
Phase one of the project will close Roselle Avenue between Claribel and Plainview roads for up to a year…