State Route 84 Niles Canyon Safety Improvements

Niles Canyon Corridor Overview

Update: Full Closure of State Route 84 in Niles Canyon between Palomares Road in Fremont to Main Street in Sunol on Weekend of July 22-25, 2022

Update: State Route-84 Intermittent Nighttime Full Closures between Palomares Road
and Main Street in Sunol June 14-18, 2021

Update: Stonybrook Creek Culvert Replacement Bridge Design Report (PDF) 

Update: Speed Reductions on State Route 84 in Niles Canyon March 2021 Through 2024

Update: November 17, 2020 - Tree Removal on State Route 84 in Niles Canyon Late November 2020 – Spring 2021

Caltrans previously proposed three projects for the Niles Canyon corridor. A project to address scour issues on the Arroyo De La Laguna Bridge was programmed to allow for environmental studies to begin.  For more background information, please click here Background on Niles Canyon Corridor Projects

1. Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project (Short-Term Improvements)
2. Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project (Medium-Term Improvements)
3. Alameda Creek Bridge Replacement Project
4. Arroyo De La Laguna Bridge Project

Contact

You can follow us on Twitter @CaltransD4 or email nilescanyonprojects@dot.ca.gov to join the Niles Canyon list and receive updates on Caltrans projects on State Route 84.

Recent Events

• September 8, 2020 - Caltrans advertised the construction contract for the Alameda Creek Bridge Project EA: 04-16030.
• August 2, 2018 – Caltrans held a public scoping meeting for the proposed Arroyo de la Laguna Bridge Project.

  Comments will be accepted until October 2, 2018, via postal mail to:

  California Department of Transportation
  District 4
  Office of Environmental Analysis
  Attn. Brian Gassner
  P.O. Box 23660, MS 8B
  Oakland, CA, 94623-0660

  Or via email to ArroyodelaLagunaBridgeProject@dot.ca.gov

• January 26, 2018 - Caltrans released the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment with Finding of No Significant Impact (EIR/EA with FONSI) for the Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project.
• October 17, 2017 - Caltrans released the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment with Finding of No Significant Impact (EIR/EA with FONSI) for the Alameda Creek Bridge Replacement Project.
• November 2016 - Two public open-forum hearings was held to solicit comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment (EIR/EA) for the Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project:

  Wednesday, November 2, 2016 from 6-8PM
  Niles Elementary School
  371421 2nd Street
  Fremont, CA 94536

  Monday, November 7, 2016 from 6-8PM
  Sunol Glen Elementary School
  111601 Main Street
  Sunol, CA 94586

• October 14, 2016 – Caltrans released the Draft EIR/EA for the Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project. Please email your comments on the Draft EIR/EA to nilescanyonprojects@dot.ca.gov or submit written comments to

  Caltrans District 4, Office of Environmental Analysis,
  Attn. Elizabeth White
  111 Grand Avenue MS 8B
  Oakland, CA 94612

  Please submit your comments by Friday, December 2, 2016.
• October 14, 2015 – Caltrans is preparing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR)/Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project (Medium-Term Improvements). A public scoping meeting was held at Sunol Glen Elementary School on October 14, 2015 to request input from agencies, local governments, elected officials, and the public on the scope of the upcoming environmental document. All comments must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2015. Please submit written comments to Caltrans District 4, 111 Grand Avenue, MS 8B, Oakland, CA 94612 Attn: Liz White or via email to nilescanyonprojects@dot.ca.gov.

  Scoping Meeting Presentation (This document has been removed pending remediation)

• October 11, 2015 – Caltrans participated in the Alameda County sponsored Niles Canyon Stroll & Roll event on Sunday, October 11, 2015. State Route 84 was closed to motor vehicle traffic between 8am-2pm between Mission Boulevard and Pleasanton/Sunol Road and allowed the public to explore the canyon in conjunction with East Bay Regional Park District’s recently completed feasibility study for a multi-use bicycle path through Niles Canyon.
• September 3, 2015 – Caltrans held a stakeholders meeting on September 3, 2015 primarily to provide updates regarding Caltrans’ plans to mitigate environmental impacts from the terminated Niles 1 Project. The meeting was held at the Caltrans District 4 Office in Oakland, CA.

Background on Niles Canyon Corridor Projects

In Fall 2011, Caltrans stopped construction of the old Niles Canyon Safety Improvement Project, also known as Niles 1 Project. Since that time, Caltrans has acknowledged the public’s concerns regarding the future improvements to State Route 84 in Niles Canyon and the need for more public involvement in the planning process. Caltrans is committed to soliciting the public’s feedback and keeping all interested parties informed of progress throughout the planning for improvements on State Route 84.

In 2012, with Caltrans’ cooperation, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), conducted an independent Road Safety Assessment of State Route 84 to address safety needs and improvements along the corridor. Caltrans also assembled a multidisciplinary team from the agencies immediately involved with State Route 84 and conducted a Value Analysis Study from the results of the FHWA’s assessment. A Value Analysis Study is a tool Caltrans uses to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the solution to an engineering problem. It is a function-oriented, systematic team approach, used to analyze and improve value in a product, facility design, system or service. It is a powerful methodology for solving problems and/or reducing costs while improving performance and/or quality.

On Monday, July 30, 2012 Caltrans held a public meeting to allow both the FHWA and the Value Analysis teams to present their findings and to inform the community that Caltrans had stopped work on the Niles Canyon 1, 2, and 3 projects. Below are links to the Road Safety Assessment and Value Analysis.

Available Documents

• 84 Niles Canyon RSA Final Report (This document has been removed from the website pending remediation)
• Final Quantitative Road Safety Analysis Study Report (This document has been removed from the website pending remediation)

 

Based on the findings of FHWA’s Road Safety Assessment Report, Caltrans currently proposes three separate projects to address the safety, operational and structural deficiencies in the corridor.

1. Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project (Short-Term Improvements)
2. Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project (Medium-Term Improvements)
3. Alameda Creek Bridge Replacement Project
4. A fourth project in the Niles Canyon corridor was programmed in FY 16/17 to address the bridge scour issue at the Arroyo De La Laguna Bridge.

Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project (Short-Term Improvements)

The Niles Canyon Short-Term Improvements Project proposes to implement safety improvements at spot locations along the Route 84 Corridor between SR-238 (Mission Boulevard) and I-680. Scope of work include:

• Install roadside and metal beam guard rail delineators
• Bridge railing delineators
• High friction surface treatment
• Shoulder and median rumble strips
• Reflective dots and optical bars
• Sharrows
• Object markers
• Left turn refuge at Palomares Road

To accommodate bicyclists on State Route 84, Caltrans will implement the following measures for the construction of shoulder rumble strips at spot locations:

• Limit placement of shoulder rumble strips to locations with 400 feet or more of continuous 4-foot shoulder
• Limit the width of the rumble strips to the minimum 6 inch wide strips instead of 12 inch strips
• Implement openings at the beginning and ends of the rumble strip area and at driveways and intersections
• Implement a ‘skip’ pattern of 12-foot openings for every 60-foot of shoulder rumble strips

Schedule

• Construction completed August 2016

Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project (Medium-Term Improvements)

The Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project proposes to implement safety improvements at spot locations along the Route 84 Corridor between SR-238 (Mission Boulevard) and I-680. These safety improvements include:
• Signalization at SR-84 and Main Street
• Signalization at Pleasanton-Sunol Road
• Installation and removal of traffic signs
• Improvements at low speed curve area
• Remove fixed objects including trees and utility poles
• K-rail replacement
• Install rockfall protection system
• Shoulder widening near Sims Park/Quarry Road, Silver Springs, and Paloma Way
• Widening and barrier rail replacements on Alameda Creek Bridge and Overhead
• Install and replace metal beam guard railing with Midwest Guardrail System
• Install active warning systems for bicyclists
• Install lighting at spot locations
• Install speed feedback signs throughout the corridor
• Install dynamic warning system near Silver Springs undercrossing and Palomares Road
• Relocate flashing beacons near the Palomares undercrossing
• Replace Stonybrook concrete box culvert with a clear span bridge

Tentative Schedule

• Complete design Spring 2020
• Start construction Spring 2021
• Complete construction Winter 2022

Available Documents

• Stonybrook Creek Culvert Replacement Bridge Design Report
• Niles Canyon Safety Improvements Project Final EIR/EA with FONSI. (This document has been removed from the website pending remediation.)

Alameda Creek Bridge Replacement Project

Background

In March of 2013, Caltrans held a meeting with project stakeholders to introduce the community to the proposed improvements to the Alameda Creek Bridge Replacement Project. The community raised concerns with the proposed project. Caltrans agreed to explore different alternatives to minimize environmental impacts while still meeting project goals.

On December 5th, 2013, Caltrans held another stakeholders meeting to update the community of Caltrans’ findings in the review of comments we received from our March 2013 meeting. A copy of the presentation can be found at the link below.

February 25, 2014 and March 4, 2014, Caltrans held two scoping meetings to request input from the general public, local agencies and local government's input in determining the appropriate scope of the environmental document for the Alameda Creek Bridge Replacement Project. A copy of the presentation from the March 4, 2014 meeting and handout can be found at the link below.

In February 2015, Caltrans circulated the Alameda Creek Bridge Replacement Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Caltrans held two public meetings to review the EIR on February 18, 2015 and March 23, 2015.

In January 2017, Caltrans circulated the Alameda Creek Bridge Replacement Project Revised Draft EIR/Environmental Assessment (EA). Caltrans held two public meetings to review the EIR/EA on February 7, 2017 and February 21, 2017.

In October 2017, Caltrans released the Alameda Creek Bridge Replacement Project Final EIR/EA. This Final EIR/EA includes responses to comments received for the Revised Draft EIR/EA.

Tentative Schedule

• Complete design Fall 2020
• Start construction Spring 2021
• Complete construction Winter 2023

Available Documents

Final Environmental Impact Report (This document has been removed from the website pending remediation.)

Accessibility Assistance: Co/trans makes every attempt to ensure our documents are accessible. Due to variances between assistive technologies, there may be portions of this document which are not accessible. Where documents cannot be made accessible, we are committed to providing alternative access to the content. You can request a non-ADA version of this document by contacting Brian Gassner at brian.gassner@dot.ca.gov, 510-506-0372.

You can also follow us on Twitter @CaltransD4 or email us at nilescanyonprojects@dot.ca.gov to receive updates on safety improvements on State Route 84.