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The 680-80-12 (Fairfield) Project
MISSION: With the truck scales just north of this interchange relocated to just south of the 680/12 interchange, focus turns to cleaning up a confusing, winding set of access roads around the 680/80 junction as well as shoring up existing ramps.
Among the issues: the two-lane area overpass—Green Valley Road—lacks sidewalks and bike lanes, and is plain ugly. Replacement of this bridge takes place in the first of what is a seven-phase project. (Unfortunately, as of October 2015, phases 2-7 are unfunded.)
Additionally, Phase I includes an overhaul of the 80W to 12W on-ramp. Later phases call for construction of a Red Top Road interchange with I-680, improvements to the 680 connectors to/from I-80, and an extension of Business Center Drive to form a four-way intersection with Red Top Road and Highway 12—all of which remain unfunded at the moment.
August 2016 update: the old overpass has been demolished; the new overpass is in use but still incomplete and using temporary signals. Photos to come in the next few days.
Note: an earlier edition of this page reported improved routing to I-80W from Suisun Valley Road as part of the upcoming phases. While those plans call for Neitzel Road—currently part of the 80W-from-SVR route—to be eliminated, it is unclear if traffic from SVR to 80W would follow a new, improved route, or a route similar to the existing one.
For more on this project, click here.
The San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge Removal Project
MISSION: The above title pretty much describes it all—the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge was completed in September 2014, meaning the old one needed to go. Removing it, however, isn't as easy as it sounds—for safety reasons, the span had to be deconstructed carefully. Removal photos below; we apologize for launching TSR too late to provide worthy coverage of the new bridge construction.
A sketch of the planned new Autumn layout; not sure where or when I found this. A city employee told me the road will run through an existing parking lot on the south side of the tracks.
Autumn after converting the tracks to grade level, but before the lights/gates were added (February 2013)
Looking west of the closed section of Autumn Pkwy, you see a large, sparsely-used parking lot. I was told the Autumn extension would go through this lot, but the current alignment doesn't support that.
A sketch of the planned new Autumn layout; not sure where or when I found this. A city employee told me the road will run through an existing parking lot on the south side of the tracks.
This is the Green Valley Road overpass under construction; this photo was taken just east of the current overpass in July 2015.
Another angle of the new Green Valley Road overpass under construction in summer 2015. The current two-lane bridge lies just past the traffic signal on the left.
This is the Green Valley Road overpass under construction; this photo was taken just east of the current overpass in July 2015.
The Autumn Street (San Jose) Extension Project
MISSION: When the Oakland Athletics began to (unsuccessfully) grease the wheels toward a move to San Jose's Diridon Station area (named after the CalTrain station not far from HP Pavilion or whatever they're calling the San Jose Sharks arena these days), SJ city officials went to work improving the surrounding area.
Among their goals: connecting the two ends of Autumn Street. The main portion runs south of the CalTrain tracks and eventually fades away into back roads.
A few years back, a small stub of road named "Autumn Parkway" was built alongside the San Jose Market Center—the one off Coleman Avenue with Target, Wingstop, etc. It's a four-lane road that, save for the driveway into said shopping center, was absolutely useless—mere feet past the driveway, Autumn terminated at the tracks. The Pavilion is clearly visible on the other side, but unreachable.
Realizing the waste of a potential four-lane thoroughfare to the Diridon area right off Coleman Avenue/Interstate 880, San Jose went to work on making Autumn one. It has already been converted to an at-grade crossing at the CalTrain tracks (at the cost of removing one at existing Autumn at Cinnabar Street).
With the A's move stalled—possibly forever—progress on the new road stalled as well. But as of Spring 2016, crews are working again.
For more on this project, click here.
September 2014: Traveling westbound, still much bridge left to be removed one year after closure.
September 2014: The gap is too large to cover in one passing image. But we didn't feel like parking and walking.
You may recognize the "truss" spans of the old bridge—once you passed through these, land was only seconds away.
September 2014: Traveling westbound, still much bridge left to be removed one year after closure.
The BART To Silicon Valley (Fremont/Milpitas/San Jose) Project
MISSION: Bay Area Rapid Transit makes travel easier for thousands upon thousands of riders in San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa counties—but past efforts to expand to Santa Clara county failed...until now. In 2011, work began on an extension from Fremont into San Jose that is scheduled to wrap in 2017-18, depending on the source.
Long-term plans call for the route to loop all the way through downtown San Jose into Santa Clara; funding currently isn't available and won't be until at least a couple more years (as of 2015).
Funding permitted, BART tentatively hopes to complete the latter extension phase by 2025.
Obviously, changes must be made to accomodate the new railway, which will run along existing railroad tracks (mostly Union Pacific) for the majority of its route.
From the existing southern terminus at Fremont Station moving southward, new stations are being added at:
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Warm Springs (off Warm Springs Blvd just south of Grimmer in Fremont); this station is set to open any month now,
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Milpitas (Montague Expressway & Capitol Avenue at Milpitas/San Jose edge), and
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Berryessa (near the intersection of Berryessa and King/Lundy in San Jose).
Phase II planned stations include:
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Alum Rock (elevated near Santa Clara St/Alum Rock Avenue overpass at US-101 in San Jose)
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San Jose Downtown (near the intersection of Santa Clara/Market Streets in San Jose, via subway under Santa Clara Street) and
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Santa Clara (at the existing CalTrain station across El Camino from Santa Clara University).
Existing roads requiring modification for this project:
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Warren Avenue, Fremont (underpass built)
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Kato Avenue, Fremont (underpass built)
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Dixon Landing Road, Fremont (trench under road being built; road closures at the tracks currently in effect. Presumably to save cash, the existing UPRR tracks will not be trenched alongside BART, remaining at grade level instead.)
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Montague Expressway, San Jose (trench under road built)
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Trade Zone Boulevard, San Jose (trench under road built)
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Sierra Road/Lundy Avenue intersection, San Jose (tunnel built underneath intersection)
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Hostetter Road, San Jose (trench under road being built)
Several roads in the path of BART already have grade separations in place for the UPRR, such as Jacklin Road and Calaveras Boulevard in Milpitas. Obviously, no modifications will be required on such roads. Washington Avenue and Paseo Padre Parkway in Fremont were reconfigured as underpasses in anticipation of a Warm Springs BART extension back in 2010.
This is how Communications Hill Blvd. was SUPPOSED to originally run, but the chunk between Casselino Drive and the railroad tracks was never built...until now.
This is the current terminus of the Curtner Avenue stem of CH Blvd.
This pedestrian bridge lies a few dozen feet past the terminus of the Curtner Avenue stem of CH Blvd. It leads to a trail; didn't explore much further. This bridge may or may not survive the construction.
This is how Communications Hill Blvd. was SUPPOSED to originally run, but the chunk between Casselino Drive and the railroad tracks was never built...until now.
Ongoing Bay Area Road Projects
Ongoing Bay Area Road Projects Completed Bay Area Road Projects Using BART/CalTrain Using FasTrak Great Sites And More
The Communications Hill Boulevard Project
MISSION: For years, two segments of CHB existed: a ½-mile or so road that ran off Curtner Avenue and ended at the Union Pacific railroad tracks (with a pedestrian bridge to, well, not really much of anywhere just beyond road's end), and a higher-traveled portion that ran off Hillsdale Avenue—the section between Snell and Foxworthy—and curved up the actual Communications Hill, leading to a trove of pricey homes.
I once talked with a city employee; apparently, the road was always meant to be one, but development funds dried up for the homes slated to be built along that portion of CHB. Not only that, but the UPRR would not allow a new at-grade railroad crossing to be built; only a railroad overpass would be allowed...and those are pricey.
At long last, though, it seems the project is underway—crews and cranes are clearly visible working at the current end of the Hillsdale CHB (where it angles and becomes Casselino Drive)! However, as of August 26 I'm waiting to get official confirmation from the city. If you know the area, you know there's no parking to be found at the CHB/Casselino junction and you also know walking up or down that hill can be challenging; I've been unable to gather pics so far. But soon.
For more on this project, click here—surrounding roads will also see changes.