Plans proceeding for 101/92 interchange congestion remedy

It will address long-term improvements to the Highway 101/State Route 92 interchange, while the Highway 101/State Route 92 Interchange Area Improvements Project also underway will address short-term improvements in similar areas of Highway 101 through lane improvements and upgrades to certain intersection ramps and mergers.

The project is now in the Project Approval and Environmental Document phase, or PA&ED. The San Mateo County Transportation Authority, or TA, will prepare engineering reports and environmental technical studies, study and evaluate the project's different alternatives and seek public input through public meetings, all under Caltrans oversight, Caltrans Regional Project Manager Mohammad Suleiman said by email. It will look at potential long-term issues and strategies with the overall project. The City/County Association of Governments, or C/CAG, at its Jan. 14 meeting, approved an agreement between Caltrans, the TA and its organization to begin the PA&ED phase of the Direct Connector Project. Preliminary tasks began earlier this month, Lieberman said by email. Public meetings would likely happen at the beginning of next year.

At the end of the PA&ED phase, the TA will obtain project approval of a preferred alternative construction option and an approved environmental document to move to the next phase to design the project before construction can start, Suleiman said.

Alternative one would build an express lane direct connector from westbound State Route 92 to northbound and southbound express lanes on Highway 101 to benefit the morning commute. Alternative two would provide reversible managed lanes using the same bypass structure to benefit the afternoon commute from northbound and southbound express lanes on Highway 101 to eastbound State Route 92 as well, according to a C/CAG report. The TA is still looking at what alternative would be best.

Arul Edwin, a project manager for TA, said the PA&ED phase is expected to be finished by spring 2024, and the next phase would be project design, which would take another two years and involve a formal programming document that takes into account detailed designs and potential bidding by contractors. Construction would begin once the Project Design Phase finishes. Potential construction would lead to some closures but not during rush hours.

The Direct Connector Project will be funded and have work completed by the TA, while Caltrans will provide oversight because the improvements are within the state right-of-way, Suleiman said.

Joe Hurley, the director of the Transportation Authority, which oversees the county’s sales taxes for transportation, said it would get partial funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which has earmarked around $50 million from a bridge toll increase. More funding is still needed, and Hurley said the TA is working to put itself in a good position to receive federal funding. The project is estimated to cost around $173 million to $193 million.

Hurley said transportation organizations know continuing to build more freeways is not the answer as the Bay Area shifts towards more carpooling and environmentally-friendly transit. The direct connector is expected to make it easier to get to carpool lanes and encourage carpooling.

The cities of San Mateo and Foster City were co-sponsors of the project in its early stages. Both cities requested C/CAG and TA sponsor the rest of the project phases. Hurley said San Mateo and Foster City are at the table with the TA and provide input and get updates.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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