Broadway Overpass Progress

The SM Daily Journal is reporting on the latest step in the upgrade of the B'way overpass

Studies found the out-of-date interchange to be complicated, which causes congestion. Design and engineering is still under way. In addition, property acquisition is still necessary.

Up to four privately owned commercial or industrial properties, including the 76 station at 1200 Bayshore Highway, could be acquired to create the project, according to the environmental documents. In addition, 71 trees will be removed during construction. However, the plan calls for reforestation at an equal or greater rate.

Burlingame is responsible for $8 million of the $75 million project cost. An increase in the hotel tax, passed by voters in 2009, was campaigned as a way to help cover the costs. Last year, Burlingame put aside $500,000 and has planned to put $800,000 aside next, said City Manager Jim Nantell.

The list at the end of the piece notes there would be

construction of a new Broadway pedestrian/bicycle overcrossing south of the existing Broadway interchange; the reconstruction of the Peninsula Avenue overcrossing to provide sufficient clearance between the columns for the proposed auxiliary lanes

Which is a little confusing since both structures are quite new.  We'll see

 

Comments

[Rich]

Seems like there are far better uses for $75m.

[jennifer]

I'm fairly sure that originally, the above ped/bike overpass was going to be dismantled, which seemed a waste. It had originally been called "temporary" albeit, very expensive.

The most recent plans I saw left this overpass in place. A very wide sidewalk (maybe 10-12 ft. wide) for peds. only would be constructed on the new Broadway overpass, but only on the north side, while bikes would also have a painted bike lane indicated on the same grade as the car traffic, both east and westbound. But maybe plans have changed, again.....

[Joanne]

Here we go AGAIN! San Mateo Public Works is now considering as one of six options to possibly close the onramp or both onramp and offramp at Poplar.
Relocating either one or both southbound ramps at Peninsula will be considered and studied.

[fred]

That would be a good thing. The drive-ins site and the surrounding properties can never be developed without the freeway access at Peninsula. It would also help downtown Burlingame greatly.

The freeway access at Poplar is insane. There is constantly accidents there and there are many schools on that small, winding road.

Thank goodness we may get a second chance to correct what should have been done and what is best for both cities.

[Bobby]

I can't believe this option of closing Poplar ave exit in favor of adding soutbound off/on ramps at Peninsula has re-surrected itself again. When the issue was closed in 2007, the issue was that Peninsula ave was not wide enough west bound to accomodate all the traffic, and all the homes on the Burlingame side would have to be razed at a cost of over $70M to do so.I don't think this option has gotten any cheaper in the ensuing years.

Here is the link to that 2007 study:

http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1149

The 2007 study was also conducted by the Hexagon consulting group- the same ones doing the study now. I'm amused that they're getting paid to do the same work twice!

[fred]

The first time around there were three options:

1) Razed the residential neighborhood to make a roundabout.

2) Made Bayswater Avenue an off-ramp.

Both those options should never have been entertained and are no longer feasible due to the construction done on the Peninsula freeway ramp.

3) The third option did not affect one single residential structure but caused the loss of two parking spaces.

Hopefully, this time around only the sensible options are presented. Then there would be no need for the false hysteria of adding a simple on-off ramp to an already existing elevated freeway exit/entrance.

[fred]

"After studying how to solve the dangerous traffic conditions at the intersection of Poplar Avenue and Highway 101 for seven years, the city of San Mateo has whittled down a long list of design options to essentially just four."

"One of the options being considered is to eliminate the on- and off-ramps at Poplar Avenue altogether and to push that traffic to new southbound on- and off-ramps at Peninsula Avenue in Burlingame."

http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=160646&title=San Mateo closer to solving Poplar problems&eddate=06/10/2011