Caltrain hit a milestone in its 25th Avenue Grade Separation Project with the installation of a rail bridge at 28th Avenue in San Mateo, Calif., marking the second rail bride completed this summer.
In July, Caltrain installed the rail bridge over 25th Avenue as part of the $180 million safety improvement project. The project is now gearing up for its third and final rail bridge across 31st Avenue in the coming weeks. Work continues on the construction of Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) walls that will hold up the tracks between bridges.
Upon completion of the project in 2021, pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers will enjoy a safer and more accessible, east-west connection in San Mateo. It’s a vision for the Peninsula city that dates to 1999 and includes recently proposed traffic calming measures on both 28th and 31st Avenues.
In 2017, construction started on the 25th Grade Separation Project, a collaboration with the city of San Mateo to make improvements to safety, traffic flow and to reduce train noise. In addition, the project will result in a new, modernized Hillsdale Station that is scheduled to open in 2020.
For the safety of riders, the project will close the existing Hillsdale Station later this year while it builds the upgraded Hillsdale Station. Bullet train service will move to Belmont in the interim, while regular schedules will continue at both downtown San Mateo and Hayward Park stations. Caltrain is working with its partners to provide free bus and commuter-hour shuttle service between Hillsdale and Belmont during the six-month closure. Existing bus routes will also be enhanced to accommodate the closure.
The project, funded by a combination of city, state, High-Speed Rail Authority and San Mateo County Measure A funds, is estimated to cost $180 million.
