The Montague Expressway Pedestrian Overcrossing (MPOC) won the California Transportation Foundation (CTF) Active Transportation Project of the Year Award and the 2022 Excellent Engineering Award of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) in California. 

Completed in August 2021, the MPOC provides a safe, convenient, and direct link between the newly opened Milpitas BART Station Campus and the high-density residential developments, businesses, hotel, school, and shopping mall to the north over the recently widened Montague Expressway. The project brings the last mile solution to our comprehensive transportation system.

VTA delivered this project in partnership with the City of Milpitas, which provided the local funding match for the project and was responsible for reviewing and approving construction plans, issuing permits, and accepting and assuming the operation and maintenance responsibilities of the facility.

 VTA was responsible for conducting environment clearance, securing federal and state grants, implementing the design and construction of the POC, and executing a real estate and O&M agreement with the City for the facility.  

Travelers can access it on one side from in front of the new The Edge apartment building at 753 Montague Expressway in Milpitas to the second floor of the existing parking garage at the Milpitas Transit Center on the other side. It includes a staircase leading from the ground floor on both sides of Montague Expressway to the bridge above Montague. There is also elevator access at the north end of the bridge and from the western edge of the parking garage at the Milpitas Transit Center.

The project exemplifies how to leverage federal (FHWA), state (SB 1, LLP), and local (City of Milpitas) funds to prompt sustainable transit-oriented development that further aids carbon pollution reduction. The successful project implementation resulted from a seamless collaboration between SCVTA, the City of Milpitas, and all other project stakeholders. 

The project advances a positive public image of engineering excellence by constructing a 230-foot-long elegant steel bridge with one span over the busy county expressway.  The aesthetic features include colorful fins installed on both sides of the steel bridge and a shining glass elevator tower, which graces the beautiful rolling foothills in the background and creates an iconic structure for the city. The project team overcame many technical challenges related to the steel bridge fabrication, transportation, assembly, and erection during the COVID-19 lockdown period. 

Congrats to our incredible team!