Brentwood, CA – On Tuesday, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and its partners, the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD), the Contra Costa Regional Fee and Financing Authority (ECCRFFA), the California Department of Transportation, and the City of Brentwood, broke ground on the Highway 4 and Balfour Road Interchange Project. Joined by state, regional, and local officials at the brief groundbreaking ceremony, the agencies marked the start of the $42 million interchange project which will bring much-needed traffic relief to Brentwood and East Contra Costa County.
The Balfour Road Interchange project will replace the existing signalized, at-grade intersection at Balfour Road and State Route 4 with a full access-controlled, grade-separated interchange and corresponding on- and off-ramps. State Route 4 will be raised to cross over Balfour Road, creating a new, safer undercrossing. When completed in late 2019, the project will reduce existing and future traffic congestion while enhancing safety for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.
“Today’s groundbreaking signifies the start to another critical transportation project in our region,” said CCTA Commissioner and Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor. “The Highway 4 and Balfour Road Interchange Project will create a safer environment for all travel modes and relieve traffic bottlenecks to help get people where they need to go.”
Construction of the interchange is part of the final phase of bypass construction to improve traffic flow along Highway 4. The bypass projects on Highway 4 were developed cooperatively among the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, and the cities of Brentwood, Antioch, and Oakley. CCTA is responsible for maintaining and improving the county’s transportation system by planning, funding, and delivering critical transportation infrastructure projects and programs.
“With the improvements on Highway 4, the extension of BART to Antioch and now the Highway 4/Balfour Road Interchange Project, we will continue to transform East County, and make our roadways safer for motorists”, stated Supervisor Diane Burgis. “The real opportunity is the long term economic benefits with better and safer access into East County.” Supervisor Burgis serves as the Chair for Transportation, Water, Infrastructure Committee (TWIC) as well as Vice Chair for East Contra Costa Regional Fee & Financing Authority (ECCRFFA).
The construction of the Balfour Road interchange follows two years of utility relocation work in partnership with the Contra Costa Water District and the California Department of Transportation.
“Original plans for this project included relocation of a 90-inch underground water pipeline,” said Connstance Holdaway, Contra Costa Water District Board Vice-President. “But creative minds and collaboration between agencies resulted in a different approach, saving time and money, as well as reducing environmental and public impacts.”
“This project will vastly improve the safety and operation of State Route 4 at the Balfour Road Interchange, and congestion will be a thing of the past,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “Additionally, the newly passed $5.2 billion transportation funding package will allow the state and locals to properly invest in transportation infrastructure.”
For more information on the project, click here.
About the Highway 4 Projects
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 Balfour Road in Brentwood, add missing connector ramps at the State Route 160/Highway 4 interchange, and add a BART extension from Pittsburg to Antioch with new stops in Pittsburg and 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 continues. 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.
About The Contra Costa Transportation Authority
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 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 putting programs in place to keep traffic levels manageable. More information about CCTA can be found online at ccta.net.
For additional information about the Balfour Road Interchange Project, please visit www.4eastcounty.org.
1 comment
what idiot would do an Antioch overpass that’s barely used before the balfour/sr4 ..the answer are probably our politicians …and government thinkers …
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