Santa Clara Pedestrian Undercrossing

VTA designed and constructed a pedestrian undercrossing extension at the Santa Clara Caltrain Station to open access to the platform from both sides of the tracks.

The tunnel provides easier and safer access to and from bike trails, Avaya Stadium and, eventually, newly developed commercial and retail properties along Coleman Avenue near the stadium. Long term, the tunnel will be a crucial connector for the Santa Clara BART station included in Phase II of VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Extension.

This cross-barrier connection broke ground in November 2016, finishing on time and under budget in August of 2017. The $13.8M project cost drew from Measures A and B, The City of San Jose, State and Federal Sources, Safe Routes to Transit, the Transportation Fund for Clean Air, and Hunter Properties.

The new tunnel is about 80 feet long and runs under three Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) tracks. In conjunction with the underpass extension, an open-air ramp of approximately 250 feet long connects Brokaw Road to the tunnel structure. The major excavation portion of the project lasted four days, and included stopping rail service on three tracks, cutting about 200 feet of railway, and excavation. The cut-and-cover construction utilized precast concrete box units that were set in place to create the floor, walls, and ceiling of the tunnel.