Fresno Plans Friant Road Intersection Upgrades After Crashes

City to invest $2.5 million to improve safety at dangerous Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue intersection.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The city of Fresno is planning infrastructure improvements at the Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue intersection after two crashes this week at the notorious intersection. A white SUV ran a red light on Monday, hitting a pickup truck and car, and on Wednesday a Fresno City garbage truck ran the same red light and t-boned an SUV. The city says it will move a cinderblock wall to increase visibility and make the right turn onto Shepherd a protected turn to reduce confusion, as part of a $2.5 million plan to improve safety at the intersection.

Why it matters

The Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue intersection has long been a problem area, with crashes occurring almost monthly for years. The city's efforts to improve safety, including reducing the speed limit, have had some impact, but these latest incidents show more needs to be done to protect drivers, pedestrians, and property in the area.

The details

The crashes this week occurred when drivers ran the red light at the intersection. Neighbors say the right turn light from Friant to Shepherd often stays green even when the other northbound lights are red, leading some drivers to mistakenly think they can proceed. The city has already reduced the speed limit on Friant from 50 mph to 45 mph and says this is one of the most heavily patrolled intersections, but more infrastructure changes are planned, including moving a cinderblock wall to increase visibility and making the right turn onto Shepherd a protected turn with no light.

  • On Monday, February 24, 2026, a white SUV ran a red light and hit a pickup truck and car.
  • On Wednesday, February 26, 2026, a Fresno City garbage truck ran the same red light and t-boned an SUV.

The players

Dan Wells

A neighbor who livestreams the Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue intersection on his YouTube channel "Friant Roulette".

Nick Richardson

A Fresno City Councilman who oversees the Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue area.

Fresno City

The local government of Fresno, California, which is planning $2.5 million in infrastructure improvements at the Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue intersection.

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What they’re saying

“We get a lot of comments from people who now just avoid that intersection.”

— Dan Wells, Neighbor (yourcentralvalley.com)

“There are only so many engineering solutions that we can put in place.”

— Nick Richardson, Fresno City Councilman (yourcentralvalley.com)

“We finally have something that we think is going to be a huge step in changing the perceived safety of that intersection and hopefully saving some property and, at best, maybe saving a life that otherwise would have been in jeopardy.”

— Nick Richardson, Fresno City Councilman (yourcentralvalley.com)

What’s next

The city says it will move forward with its $2.5 million plan to improve the Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue intersection, including moving a cinderblock wall to increase visibility and making the right turn onto Shepherd a protected turn with no light.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges cities face in addressing dangerous intersections, even after implementing measures like speed limit reductions and increased patrols. Fresno's multi-million dollar plan to further upgrade the Friant Road and Shepherd Avenue intersection shows the significant investment required to truly improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, and the surrounding community.