In preparation for construction of VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension Project, VTA’s tunnel and trackwork contractor, Kiewit, Shea, Traylor (KST) developed a Construction Transportation Management Plan (CTMP). This plan, the first of several to be developed, is specifically for early construction activities at VTA’s Newhall Yard property where the tunnel boring machine will be launched (an area referred to as the west tunnel portal) and the location of the future Santa Clara Station. The purpose of this plan is to coordinate automobile, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian movements, truck hauling, general and emergency access, and reduce transportation impacts to the extent feasible during construction at and around the work site. This CTMP was developed in coordination with the Cities of San José and Santa Clara and the BSVII Project Team, along with adjacent businesses and residents. Project staff also engaged the community to provide input at public and virtual meetings in March 2023.
The main purpose of early construction activities at the Newhall Yard property is to prepare the site for the launch of the tunnel boring machine at the west tunnel portal. The west tunnel portal will be excavated and supported with reinforced concrete walls to create space for assembling and launching the tunnel boring machine. Other early construction activities will include the construction of site entrances, a tunnel lining factory where tunnel lining segments will be constructed and stored before being placed in the tunnel, a grout plant to produce grout to seal the tunnel lining segments together, the excavated materials bin to store excavated materials until hauled offsite to be repurposed or disposed of, and a noise curtain along the west side of the site to reduce noise from construction activities, among other activities.
Additional contract/area specific CTMPs will be developed by KST and future contractors for additional work areas as the project advances.
City staff will be taking this CTMP for early construction activities to their City Councils for approval on May 23rd in San Jose and on June 6th in Santa Clara. Early construction activities are necessary to prepare the site for tunneling operations and are anticipated to begin as early as late Summer this year. For more details about construction activities expected at VTA’s Newhall Yard property, see our recorded public meeting and presentation materials. Please note that the construction schedule noted in March 2023 public meeting was based on the latest schedule at the time and has since been updated. The latest information will be posted on the project website and distributed via construction notices.