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280/880/Stevens Creek Project Awarded $32 Million
VTA, Local Elected Officials Lobbied for Funding
| Release Number: | nr 09 12 12 |
| Release Date: | Dec 17, 2009 |
San Jose, Calif. –The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) announced today it has secured $32 million in state funding to help rebuild the outdated I-280/I-880/Stevens Creek Boulevard Freeway Interchange in San Jose. The interchange is renowned for horrible traffic back-ups and is considered one of the worst accident zones in the Bay Area.
The interchange is located in the district of state Assemblymember Jim Beall, Jr., D-San Jose, who played a key role in securing the funding. “When the interchange improvements are completed, the annual holiday traffic backup on the freeways will be a distant memory,’’ Beall said. “The $32 million VTA is getting is roughly 20 percent of the estimated $150 million project cost and it will help pay for the planning of the project and early phases of construction.’’
"The merging of multiple lanes in one small area has caused hundreds of accidents and created major traffic jams for decades," said Supervisor Ken Yeager, who is Santa Clara County's representative on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). "This is a great Christmas present for South Bay shoppers and commuters."
By providing a separated connector between northbound I-280 and northbound I-880, vehicles will be able to transition more smoothly from one to the other, virtually eliminating the back-ups associated with the current connector. Overall access to Stevens Creek Boulevard for northbound drivers from both I-280 and I-880 will also be improved.
The new monies come from the Corridor Mobility Improvement Account (CMIA), a fund created by the passage of Proposition 1B in 2006. The account is administered locally by the MTC, the transportation planning and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The MTC board approved VTA’s application for the funds at its regular monthly meeting on December 16.
Future portions of the project will include modifications to the two adjacent interchanges at I-800/Stevens Creek and 1-280/Winchester as well as other improvements to traffic safety and operations.
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About VTA
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is an independent special district that provides sustainable, accessible, community-focused transportation options that are innovative, environmentally responsible, and promote the vitality of our region. VTA is responsible for bus, light rail and paratransit operations and also serves as the county’s congestion management agency. As such, VTA is responsible for countywide transportation planning, including congestion management issues, specific highway improvement projects, pedestrian and bicycle improvement projects, and provides these services throughout the county, including the municipalities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale. VTA continually builds partnerships to deliver transportation solutions that meet the evolving mobility needs of Santa Clara County.
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