Via the Contra Costa Times:
Benicia Bridge renovation to finish early
A $43.5 million renovation of the Benicia Bridge is on target to be finished in August — four months ahead of schedule — to provide less congestion and smoother travel on Interstate 680 across the Carquinez Strait, Caltrans says.
The upgrade of the 1.2-mile bridge connecting Contra Costa and Solano counties includes a fourth lane for southbound car and truck traffic, a new bike/pedestrian lane, and wide new shoulders as a safety buffer.
A second merging lane will be added for drivers entering the bridge from I-780. Traffic back ups there during the morning commute.
“There won’t be any backup (from I-780) with our new four-lane configuration for the bridge,” said Mo Pazooki, Caltrans project manager. “We’re coming in ahead of schedule and within budget on a project that will help traffic flows.”
He said good weather and a speedy contractor is making for early completion.
The renovation began in January 2008 and was scheduled for completion in December 2009. Now it appears the project will be done sometime in August, with the fourth traffic lane opening first and the bike lane soon after, Caltrans officials said. No official opening date has been set.
The Benicia Bridge used to carry traffic in both northbound and southbound directions when it was built in 1962 to replace the last major ferry for autos in the Bay Area. The old bridge was converted to southbound-only traffic in August 2007, when a $1.2 billion span was opened with five lanes for northbound traffic.
To enable contractors to renovate the old bridge while it still carries traffic, half of the bridge width was shut down and renovated while the other half carried three lanes of traffic.
In August, the entire bridge width will open with four southbound traffic lanes, plus two merging lanes from both I-680 and I-780.
The morning backup occurs as I-780 motorists squeeze onto the bridge in one lane close to a concrete barrier. “Some people tell us they’re scared to drive there merge there,” Pazooki said.
The new 8-foot-wide shoulders on the bridge will ease safety concerns, and provide space to access cars that break down or get in accidents. The bridge has no shoulder now.
In another improvement just south of the bridge, contractors are rebuilding a freeway section above a marsh to eliminate big roadway dips. Those road depressions fill with runoff and flood in winter.
Cellular concrete, which is light but strong, is being used to replace the road there, which developed the dips over years as heavy asphalt used to resurface the lanes made the freeway sink into mud, said Caltrans spokesman Allyn Amsk.
During a tour of the bridge work last week, Caltrans engineers showed the partially complete bike lane, where rails were being installed.
“When you’re out here, you have nice views of the of the water, the (Navy ghost fleet) ships, and the hills along the Carquinez Strait,” said Cassaundra Lograsso, Caltrans’ resident engineer, as she stood on the bridge.
Also in view were the smokestacks, metal piping and towers at the Shell oil refinery and other waterfront industries.
The softer side of the Carquinez Strait — the bluffs, the water, the marshes — have long been a favorite subject for oil and water color painters. It is because of these views walkers and riders may be attracted to the new bike lane across the 1.2-mile bridge.
“Opening the bike and pedestrian lane is a big deal for regional trails,” said Bern Smith, the East Bay trails coordinator for the Bay Area Ridge Council.
He said the bridge renovation will close one of the remaining gaps in a 50-mile regional trail route through the Carquinez Strait hills, over the Carquinez Bridge and along the shoreline of Solano County.
Smith said there used to be a land connection between Martinez and Benicia some half a million years ago when the Central Valley was a huge inland lake before the giant rivers of California had an outlet to the sea through the Carquinez Strait.
“The way I look at it,” he said, “This will be the first time in half a million years that you can walk from Martinez to Benicia.”
Reach Denis Cuff at 925-943-8267 or dcuff@bayareanewsgroup.com. Read the Capricious Commuter at www.ibabuzz.com/transportation.
Cost: $43.5 million
Expected completion: August
Major elements: fourth lane for southbound traffic, new bicycling/walking lane across the bridge, second merging lane from I-780 onto bridge, elimination of large flood-prone dips on I-680 south of the bridge
Project contractor: Joint venture of Top Grade Construction and American Civil Constructors
I intend to start biking ot work from Vallejo (Glen Cove Rd)to Martinez (HYW4/HWY680) when the Benicia Bridge bike lane is complete in August.
I want to drive as near as possible to bridge and park my car on the Benicia side then ride across to work.
Were is the best place to park near the bridge on the Benicia side?
There is street parking relatively close to the bridge access in the upper Arsenal area but there are no off-street parking lots other than those associated with the local businesses; check for posted parking restrictions if any. There is also a park and ride lot off of I-780 at E 2nd St at the intersection with 780 (adjacent to the playing field at the school). It’s a small lot but there’s some street parking as an overflow. If you were to use this lot you could cycle through the pedestrian tunnel under I-780 and then down to Military. It would take 10 minutes to cycle to the bridge.
WOW!!!
Drove across the bridge from Benicia to Martinez this morning. The 2 lanes will make for a safer and smoother drive.
They are installing the outer guard rails for the bike/walking path this morning. It looks like it could get completed very soon!
Bicycle commuters get ready! Sounds like Caltrans is making headway on Martinez/Benicia Bike/Ped lane.
The Benicia Bridge pedestrian lane will be an achievement, but it just dumps you at the Shell Refinery.
An eco-friendly commuter trail is needed through Waterbird Regional Reserve connecting the Benicia Bridge with Arthur Road and further to the Iron Horse and Contra Costa Canal trail via Pacheco Rd.
This will be safer becuase of the lack of a bike lane on Pacheco Rd. and bypassing the nasty refinery.
Nobody uses the Waterbird Park and it was only built because the refinery spilled 365,000 gallons of crude into picturesque Carquinez Straits in 1988. John Muir must have rolled in his grave.
This sounds great (especially because Benicia has dumped all of their public transportation)! Does anyone know if there is a bike-friendly way to ride to/fro the bridge to/fro the Amtrak station in Martinez?
Yes, the bike lane starts at about the termination of the Martinez side of the Bike/Walking path and goes directly to the station parking/drop-off lot. Railroad tracks need to be crossed a couple of times. The first set is at the intersection and is well designed. The second set, the road is buckled and at a 45 degree angle. The bike lane looks very nice. Pruning of plants needs to be done in a few areas though and it would not hurt to contact the City of Martinez since one portion around a blind bend forces bicyclists into the roadway.
A video has just been posted on the website showing how to traverse the Benicia Bridge from Benicia to Martinez Amtrak Station.http://www.511contracosta.org/grand-opening-of-the-benicia-martinez-bridge-bikeped-path/
It is good to see that the plants overgrowing the bike path were pruned. I contacted City of Martinez Public Works Division about it.
I have biked across the Benicia Bridge a few times already to see how it was and posted my comments on BikeForums.net.
Tomorrow Saturday August 29 is the Official Grand Opening.
This will be my first day of bicycle commuting since 1986.
Congratulations on your return to the bicycle commute. Please keep us posted on how the commute goes, we’d love to share your story on the 511CC website. See you on the bridge!
Can you walk your dog on the new pedestrian path that crosses the bridge?
I believe so. I’ll check with Caltrans and if their response differs I’ll post it here. Leashes and cleaning up after your pets are necessary, especially on that path.
Dogs are not allowed on the Benicia Bridge pedestrian/bike path.
Thanks for checking on that for me. I tried to read everything posted about the bridge opening but could not find anything about walking dogs. It is too bad but I understand. It is hard to have both bicycles and dogs on the same narrow path. Thanks again
Some people regularly walk their dogs on the path. If no one complains and there are no incidents, I do not think they will post a sign or enforce it.
Turns out Caltrans is allowing dogs on the bridge. See the photo of the sign for it.
Colleen. It turns out dogs are allowed by Caltrans on the Benicia Bridge. Look at the sign Caltrans is going to install (if not already installed)