Westbound traffic on Highway 4 in Antioch gets some relief with opening of two new lanes
The Highway 4 Project hit another milestone this week with the opening of two new lanes of traffic on westbound Highway 4, starting just after the Lone Tree Way/A Street undercrossing. Commuters can now travel along four lanes of highway, including a High Occupancy Vehicle lane. The project also includes newly configured on- and off-ramps from the highway to local roads.
See diagrams of the new lane segments on the Contra Loma Boulevard segment web page.
The auxiliary lane and off-ramp to Contra Loma Boulevard are not yet open, but they are expected to be open in the next week. The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and Caltrans are working together to complete this segment of the Highway 4 corridor project, referred to as Contra Loma Boulevard/L Street, of the highway construction project.
The purpose of the overall Highway 4 corridor project is to improve traffic flow on the highway and enhance motorist safety.
“We’re very happy to be able to open these new lanes to traffic and bring additional congestion relief to Eastern Contra Costa County,” said Ivan Ramirez, Construction Manager, CCTA. “This is the third of five segments we’ve opened to the public for the Highway 4 corridor project, and we’ll continue to work hard to finish the next two to deliver a modernized Highway 4 to the public.”
“Caltrans is glad to work with our partner in this growing community in East Contra Costa County,” said Dan McElhinney, Caltrans Chief Duputy District Director. “Anything we can do to help meet the traffic demand is beneficial for the cities along this corridor and the entire Bay Area region.”
Construction on the Contra Loma Boulevard/L Street segment began in March of 2012. The eastbound lanes for the segment are expected to open in late November or early December.
The construction budget for this segment was $48.7 million. For more information, please visit our website at www.4eastcounty.org
About CCTA: The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is a public agency formed by Contra Costa voters in 1988 to manage the county’s transportation sales tax program and oversee countywide transportation planning efforts. CCTA is responsible for maintaining and improving the county’s transportation system by planning, funding and delivering critical transportation infrastructure projects and programs that connect our communities, foster a strong economy, increase sustainability, and safely and efficiently get people where they need to go. CCTA also serves as the county’s designated Congestion Management Agency, responsible for establishing programs to keep traffic levels manageable. More information about CCTA can be found online at www.ccta.net
About Caltrans: Caltrans manages more than 50,000 miles of California’s highway and freeway lanes, provides inter-city rail services, permits more than 400 public-use airports and special-use hospital heliports, and works with local agencies. Caltrans carries out its mission of providing a safe, sustainable, integrated and efficient transportation system to enhance California’s economy and livability.
The Highway 4 projects include improvements that will help modernize eastern Contra Costa County. The projects expand Highway 4 from four to eight lanes between Loveridge Road in Pittsburg to just west of State Route 160 in Antioch, from two to four lanes from Lone Tree Way to Sand Creek Road in Brentwood, add missing connector ramps at the State Route 160/Highway 4 interchange, and add a BART extension from Pittsburg to Antioch. This will greatly improve transit accessibility for the region, help reduce traffic congestion, and enhance the quality of life for the more than 250,000 residents of eastern Contra Costa County. The projects have been carefully staged to keep 130,000 vehicles per day moving as major construction and demolition work continue. These projects, plus previously constructed projects in the region, bring the total investment in East County to $1.3 billion, including State, Federal, Contra Costa Transportation Authority Measures C and J, regional bridge tolls, and other funds.
