The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will celebrate one-year construction milestones for the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension Project on April 5.

Over the past 12 months, construction accomplishments on the Berryessa Extension Project include demolition and site preparation at station areas in Milpitas and San Jose; realignment and restoration of the Upper Penitencia Creek at the future Berryessa Station; relocation of major utilities all along the 10-mile project corridor and in the station areas; the commencement of station roadway and bridge construction; early support work for the elevated track structure at the Berryessa Station site; completion of the BART bridge over Kato Road; and all but finishing touches on the Kato Road grade separation.

The Kato Road Grade Separation Project is the first of eleven grade separations needed to complete the 10-mile BART extension into Santa Clara County. Separating the BART system from automobiles, pedestrians and freight enhances safety and contributes to the efficiency of BART service.  

The remaining finishing work on the Kato Road Grade Separation Project includes the installation of safety railings, landscape and irrigation, and removal of traffic mitigation measures in nearby intersections. Final project completion is set for early summer 2013.

During the five-year period that represents the height of project construction, jobs related to the 10-mile BART Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension Project translate to an average of 3,300 annual full-time jobs per year. In addition to job creation, the return on investment for every dollar spent on the project is $4 to $10.