Cost savings from a $14 million under-budgeted project is giving
new momentum to the widening and upgrade of state Highway 152 near
Gilroy Foods, an area notorious for traffic jams and dangerous
driving conditions.
Cost savings from a $14 million under-budgeted project is giving new momentum to the widening and upgrade of state Highway 152 near Gilroy Foods, an area notorious for traffic jams and dangerous driving conditions.
Budget constraints placed the project on hold since September 2002, but a portion of extra money from the Valley Transportation Authority’s Tasman East/Capitol Light Rail project, completed in June, will help complete the second segment of the highway’s expansion. Four other under-budgeted projects in the Santa Clara Valley also are contributing funds.
The project’s first segment, completed in March 2003, widened the highway from U.S. 101 to immediately west of Gilroy Foods. Widening will resume there again next spring and extend to the Llagas Creek Bridge. The bridge will be widened to accommodate the new road.
In addition, the entrance to Gilroy Foods will finally see a new traffic signal, evoking a collective sigh of relief from the more than 600 employees of the garlic-processing plant. Now, workers leaving the facility hope for a break in traffic on 152 before darting onto the highway, causing backups in Gilroy Foods’ parking lot. Friday afternoons are even worse, as weekend traffic stacks up 152 back to 101 in Gilroy.
Bob Cates, director of operations for Gilroy Foods, said he’s looking forward to the long-awaited stoplight and knows other employees are as well. “I’m personally very, very thankful and happy for what’s being done here,” he said. “Once this goes in, it will make our lives much easier getting off and on this highway out front.”
Also, the intersection at Gilroy Foods’ east entrance will be aligned with the existing Westside Transport Inc. entrance.
Santa Clara County Supervisor and VTA Board Chairman Don Gage said he made the project one of his top priorities even before funds were in place.
Blaming the initial lack of money on a lagging economy, Gage said several other projects also have incurred delays, such as improvements to the Route 85 and 101 interchange. But the hazardous and congested conditions of the 152 bottleneck begged for attention and posed too much concern to continue delay, he said.
“That area has been a problem since I got here eight years ago. It’s definitely one of the most dangerous areas, and it needed to be addressed,” he said. “We’ve been working with the VTA and the feds to get the money.”
The project’s total cost is $23 million, of which the City of Gilroy contributed $5.5 million in matching funds. U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo secured $250,000 last December for the stoplight after a push from Gage.
The project’s first segment also constructed new intersections and improved two off-ramps from the 101 to 152. A new loop on-ramp to southbound 101 from westbound 152 was constructed in February.
Reach Katie Niekerk at 408-847-7097 or [email protected].
