Caltrain’s Los Gatos Creek Bridge Replacement Project has won the Construction Management Association of America’s (CMAA) Northern California Project Achievement Award in the Transportation category. The award recognizes professionalism and excellence in construction management for a project that brought the Los Gatos Creek Bridge up to new safety standards, while also protecting local wildlife.
The project was first conceived in 2010 when it became apparent that the old bridge would have to be replaced in order to maintain safe rail operations and meet seismic safety standards. The project was complicated by the fact that Chinook and Steelhead Salmon, as well as the California Red-Legged Frog, use the Los Gatos Creek as a breeding and spawning ground. This required work to take place only between June and October, and required special measures to protect the habitat.
Work began in November of 2016 and was completed in December of last year. The project has made the corridor safer, improved operations at the San Jose Diridon Station, reduced system-wide delays caused by a lack of siding and will be necessary to accommodate the electrified system that will launch in 2022.
The project cost $20.8 million, nearly 80 percent of which came from the Federal Transit Administration.
“This project shows Caltrain’s dedication to modernizing its system and promoting rider safety while at the same time protecting our environment,” said San Jose Councilperson and Caltrain Joint Powers Board Member Dev Davis, in whose district the project was located. “Congratulations to Caltrain and their team of consultants for a job well done.”
