The County of Santa Clara Roads and Airports Department will begin a pair of pavement-rehabilitation projects on Lawrence Expressway and San Tomas Expressway this month. The projects will make the roads smoother and safer for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.
Work on Lawrence Expressway is scheduled to begin in late August, while construction on San Tomas Expressway is slated to start by late September or early October. Both projects are expected to take three to four months to complete, weather permitting.
The projects will cause traffic delays for drivers and some disruption to nearby residents and businesses, though the County and contractor DeSilva Gates Construction will do everything they can to minimize the inconvenience associated with construction.
“The pavement rehabilitation projects on Lawrence and San Tomas expressways will significantly upgrade two of the County’s essential commuter arteries,” said Harry Freitas, director of the Roads and Airports Department. “We ask for everyone’s patience during construction. Though the projects will be disruptive while they are underway, they will bring substantial benefits to the drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians who use our expressways.”
The first project involves a 2.5-mile stretch of Lawrence Expressway from Westgate West shopping center to Homestead Road and is budgeted for $16.4 million. The San Tomas Expressway project will cover 2 miles from El Camino Real to Highway 101 and is budgeted for $15.4 million.
Lawrence Expressway is the busiest commuter roadway in Santa Clara County. San Tomas Expressway is a close second. They are important north-south corridors for people who live and work in the county, providing connections between state Route 85, Interstate 280, El Camino Real, Highway 101 and state Route 237.
The projects will upgrade road surfaces using an environmentally friendly technique known as cold in-place recycling, a method that involves grinding up old asphalt and reusing it. The process significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared with traditional repaving methods.
Other elements of the projects include:
- Upgrading traffic signals
- Installing battery backup systems to power traffic signals during electrical outages
- Constructing traffic-calming measures
- Improving intersections to make them safer for pedestrians and bicyclists
- Making pedestrian curb ramps compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Construction on the projects will cause traffic delays. There may also be some work at night, which will create light and noise.
Keep Road Crews Safe
You can help keep our road maintenance crews safe – along with other drivers and pedestrians – by slowing down and being careful when approaching work zones on our roadways, especially during stormy weather.
To report an issue with a County-operated roadway, from a pothole to a malfunctioning traffic signal, visit the Roads and Airports Department’s service request webpage. The page shows you how to submit service requests online or download the Mobile Citizen app to your smartphone.
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Highway 101 Daytime Lane Closures
They should replace the sound walls along this stretch of San Tomas while they’re at it. The old low walls are deteriorating.