The June 9 virtual meeting to discuss the US 101/SR 25 Phase 1 Project drew dozens of interested attendees.  You can click here to read more about what's planned, and below is a review of some of the questions that were answered at the on-line meeting.

Meeting Questions/Concerns & Responses:

• Why is the proposed northbound 101 exit to eastbound 25 going under the overpass? 
  •  ANSWER: To improve safety and comply with design standards, the proposed northbound 101 off-ramps will be lengthened to provide more deceleration distance before the first sharp curve on the off-ramp as compared to existing conditions. This off-ramp is located next to a protected creek and historical site that cannot be impacted based on environmental approval previously obtained for the project. Because of these constraints, and to reduce the right of way take and not shift the proposed SR 25 overcrossing further to the north, the northbound off-ramp extends underneath the SR 25 overcrossing before looping back to the intersection with SR 25.
  • Routing the northbound off-ramp along the south side of the proposed SR 25 alignment would complicate stage construction of the project since that is the area of the existing SR 25 on the embankment that would need to be removed first before building the ramp. Additionally, it would be difficult to taper this third lane to eastbound SR 25 to the single lane that is required before the Union Pacific Railroad crossing. Both the Phase 1 and ultimate interchange configurations propose signalizing the northbound US 101 ramps/SR 25 intersection to control traffic operations.

• What is the current plan to extend Santa Teresa Blvd. from Castro Valley Road to the highway 25/101 interchange? Would this continuance be accompanied by an expansion of Santa Teresa Blvd. from 2 to 4 lanes from First Street? Which would most likely happen first?
  •  ANSWER: VTA is exploring ways to accelerate the Santa Teresa extension by actively seeking funding from federal grants to develop and implement this project. If funding is secured, the environmental clearance phase for the Santa Teresa extension project can begin in 2022, and then followed by the design phase. This proposed extension would only provide a new connection along Santa Teresa Blvd from north of Castro Valley Rd to the new US 101/SR 25 interchange.

• There is a concern for the closure of Mesa Rd. during and after construction, and the community impact it will cause. There is farm property and rental property along Mesa Rd. How will this closure, and the project impact those rentals? Will the renters be forced to leave?
  •  ANSWER: VTA is in the process of finalizing the design and determining right-of-way needs for construction. Once this has been finalized and approved, VTA will begin reaching out to owners to schedule appraisal inspections. Our current estimate is that appraisals will begin in the Fall of 2021.