Freeway Construction Projects On Track

Several freeway construction projects in town are slated to be completed on time, according to Caltrans.

Three construction projects are being done along State Route 84 and Interstate 580, two managed by the City of Livermore and the other by Caltrans. 

The city is working on the State Route 84/Isabel Avenue Interchange project south of I-580, which will widen and realign the stretch, and a project north of I-580 to connect the new interchange to the overcrossing Caltrans is building at Portola Avenue.  

Roberto Escobar, resident engineer for city improvements of the Isabel Interchange project, said the city still is coordinating with Caltrans about when the will be completed.

Once Caltrans completes the Isabel Interchange, the city will take over construction and build the new Portola bridge.

Allyn Amsk, Caltrans public information officer, said the interchange project is 82 percent complete. The existing onramp still will be used until the Isabel Interchange is opened around mid-August.

Construction crews are curing the concrete on the Isabel Avenue bridge deck. Once that is complete, they will need to pave north and south Isabel Avenue and add rubberized asphalt.

The city will begin construction of the new  around mid-August, Escobar said. He said that workers have until Oct. 15 to complete construction, because they need to work in the creek, which is allowed only during the dry season.

Once that is complete, the city will begin construction that will raise the bridge by about 10 feet, which Escobar said is needed via the 100-year flood design.

“We have been gradually building up that intersection,” he said. “We are currently trying to accelerate the work so that we can finish most of construction by the end of the year and open it up to traffic.”

Escobar said that after the bridge is mostly built, it still will need a layer of rubberized pavement that cannot be added until summer 2012; the pavement can be applied only in warm temperatures.

“Our intent is to try to open everything by the end of this year if we accelerate work, if not, early next year,” Escobar said.”It depends on how the weather plans out, or if it rains too soon. But we’re anticipating completing the project by the end of the year.”

The existing Portola bridge will be removed once the other projects are complete. The city most likely will close the freeway for a few nights, during which traffic will be detoured.

Construction workers will use equipment that breaks the concrete a little at a time since it is a reinforced concrete bridge.

“The plan is to put pieces of plywood on the ground to protect pavement on the freeway, then bring down concrete a little at a time,” Escobar said. “We haven’t fully decided on the details for that. We are currently developing the plan to implement the construction of the approach and the removal of the ramp.”