Plans to build a $27.5 million ramp at the intersection of
highways 152 and 156 hinge on a bill that’s still held up in the
U.S. Congress, leaving the project’s fate in the hands of lawmakers
who probably never heard of the Don Pacheco Y.
Plans to build a $27.5 million ramp at the intersection of highways 152 and 156 hinge on a bill that’s still held up in the U.S. Congress, leaving the project’s fate in the hands of lawmakers who probably never heard of the Don Pacheco Y.
The project – at the deadly, three-way intersection known as the Don Pacheco Y – relies on a combination of funding from both state and federal agencies.
But the California Transportation Commission won’t allocate anything to the construction without financial support from the federal government, according to Brandi Hall, spokesperson for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), which is overseeing the project.
That’s where federal legislation nearing $300 billion comes into play. Congress passes a wide-ranging highway bill about every six years, according to local transportation lawyer Joe Thompson. The most recent installment is expected to include funding for the local ramp project.
The House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and the Bush Administration have been haggling over an appropriate amount – but are now getting close to a resolve.
“There’s a combination of things that need to happen,” Hall said. “It’s still up in the air.”
VTA is overseeing design of the ramp, intended to rid the often grueling need for drivers to stop at the three-way intersection. The intersection serves as a gateway to Hollister, Santa Clara County and Merced County.
It’s also an area that’s often bumper to bumper with vehicles – especially at peak traffic hours – and conducive to accidents; there have been nearly 70 accidents there since 2000.
In lieu of further delays by the federal government, VTA hopes to start construction by summer of 2006 and be finished by spring of 2008, Hall said.
It nearly faced an indefinite delay earlier this year because of the state’s financial problems – before the federal government announced it would include about half the project’s funding in the highway bill.
Such a project has been in the works for nearly a decade, which doesn’t sit well with at least one nearby businessman.
“It’s taking time and time and more time,” said Joe Zanger, senior partner of Casa De Fruta adjacent to the intersection, when he heard the project’s status Monday. “I think we need to get this moving as soon as possible.”
