Press Releases

New Benicia-Martinez Bridge Groundbreaking Scheduled

CONTACT:

Steve Cobb, Caltrans
925/942-6007

Reka Goode, MTC
510/464-7706

Oakland, CA, July 6, 1999. . . Construction of the new span of the Benicia-Martinez Bridge will get a ceremonial kickoff on Thursday, July 8, 1999, at 10 a.m. The slate of dignitaries expected to help turn the first shovels of dirt include legislators from both Contra Costa and Solano counties as well as representatives of local and regional agencies that have played a key role in the planning, design and funding of the new bridge (see list of speakers below).

Scheduled to open to traffic in June 2003, the $385 million bridge is one of several major Bay Area bridge projects that are in the works, mandated by Regional Measure 1 (RM1) — the 1988 voter-approved ballot measure that raised tolls on the region's seven state-owned toll bridges to a uniform $1 to fund a package of transportation improvements.

The need for the new bridge is evident to anyone who travels regularly across the current span — traffic congestion on Interstates 680 and 780 has increased significantly since the original bridge opened in 1962. The existing bridge, which straddles the Carquinez Strait between Contra Costa and Solano counties, will be modified to accommodate four lanes of Interstate 680 traffic southbound, plus a two-way bicycle/pedestrian lane. The sleek new causeway, to be built east of the existing one, will carry five lanes of northbound traffic, of which one will be a slow-vehicle lane.

In addition, the toll plaza will be moved to the Contra Costa County side of the bridge, just north of the Marina Vista/I-680 interchange, and will have provisions for electronic toll collection. A total of 17 toll booths will be built, with two of the lanes reserved for carpools only.

In order to accommodate the new toll plaza and bridge approach, two interchanges will be reconstructed: one at the junction of I-680 and Marina Vista/Waterfront Road in Martinez, and a second one where I-680 meets Interstate 780 in Benicia. Space also will be provided for potential light-rail transit, if such service is deemed desirable in the future.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is responsible for the design and construction of the new bridge, while funding and oversight lie in the hands of the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA), whose members also serve on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the transportation planning, funding and coordinating agency for the nine Bay Area counties.

Masters of ceremonies for the groundbreaking event will be

• Jerry Hayes, mayor of the city of Benicia, and

• Mike Menesini, mayor of the city of Martinez.


Invited speakers include

• State Senators Maurice Johannessen of Redding and Richard Rainey of Walnut Creek;

• Assemblymembers Helen Thomson of Davis and Tom Torlakson of Antioch;

• Congressman George Miller's designated representative;

• Caltrans Director José Medina, and Harry Yahata, district director, Caltrans District 4 (San Francisco Bay Area);

• Charlie Abrams, chair of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority;

• Rischa Slade, chair of the Solano Transportation Authority; and

• MTC/BATA commissioners Sharon Brown, Mark DeSaulnier and Jim Spering. Brown is a member of the San Pablo City Council and MTC's vice chair. She represents the cities of Contra Costa County on the Commission, while Contra Costa County Supervisor DeSaulnier represents the county, and Suisun City Mayor Spering represents the county and the cities of Solano County.

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DIRECTIONS TO LIBRARY: From Interstate 80, take Interstate 780 eastbound; from Interstate 680, go west on I-780. Exit at East Second Street in Benicia, turn left at the signal, and proceed across Military East to East L Street. Turn right on East L, and park in the library lot at the end of the street.

DIRECTIONS TO VISTA POINT: Approaching the Benicia Bridge from the north, stay in the right lane and exit the freeway immediately after the point where the two right lanes merge (immediately prior to the beginning of the bridge structure). Follow the road under the bridge to the parking lot behind the toll plaza building. From the south, stay in the right lane as you cross the bridge, and exit to the right before you reach the toll plaza. Park as above.

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