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This Project Has Been Completed

New Benicia Bridge
Benicia Construction

Updates

**The bicycle/pedestrian lane and the new south bound realignment will open in October 2009**

Project Scope
The Benicia-Martinez Bridge has provided Interstate 680 the crossing of the Carquinez Strait between Contra Costa and Solano counties since 1962. The new Benicia-Martinez Bridge Project include the following features:

Benicia photo

  • Construction of a new five lane bridge (four mixed-flow lanes one slow-vehicle lane), east of the existing bridge and rail span with provisions to accommodate future light rail
  • Construction of a new 9-booth toll plaza - including one carpool bypass lane, two open road tolling lanes and accommodation for electronic toll collection - as well as an administration building at the southern approach to the new bridge in Contra Costa County
  • Reconstruction of the Interstate 680 interchanges at I-780 in Benicia and Marina Vista/Waterfront Road in Martinez to accommodate the new bridge and toll plaza
  • Modifications of the existing bridge to accommodate four mixed-flow lanes of southbound traffic and two-way bicycle/pedestrian lane
  • Restoration of a 22.8 acre parcel of tidal marsh in the City of Benicia

    benicia photo Project Purpose

    The purpose and needs for the new bridge are as follows:
  • Alleviate existing and projected traffic congestion
  • Reduce accident rates
  • Facilitate the regional movement of freight
  • Implement the mandate of Regional Measure 1
  • Provide a facility capable of accommodating bicycles and pedestrians
  • Provide a facility to accommodate future light-rail transit

    Interchange Design

    A "value engineering analysis" found that a redesign of the I-680/I780 interchange could result in an estimated net project cost savings of $11 million. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) sought and received concurrence for the redesign from the affected jurisdictions - the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, the Solano Transportation Authority and the City of Benicia. The redesign was approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and was honored by FHWA with its 1997-98 "Most Outstanding Value engineering" award.

    Background

    In November 1988, voters in the nine Bay Area counties passed Regional Measure 1 (RM 1) increasing the bridge tolls to $1.00 to fund improvements to the Bay Area Bridges and their approaches. Caltrans owns and operates the toll bridges, and is responsible for the design, construction and maintenance of the State owned toll bridges. The Contra Costa Transportation Authority, the Solano Transportation Authority, and the Cities of Benicia and Martinez worked closely to reach consensus on the design features of the new Benicia-Martinez Bridge Project. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) is responsible for transportation planning, funding and agency coordination in the nine Bay Area counties. In 1998, MTC formed BATA, to assume the administration of the RM 1 tolls from the California Transportation Commission. BATA is responsible for project oversight of the RM 1 bridge program.

    Schedule & Cost

    The new bridge was completed in August of 2007. The total cost is expected to be $1.057 billion.

    Updates on work progress for all Caltrans projects can be found at:

    http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/construc/statement.html
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