Doyle Drive Replacement Project To Begin |
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Federal Highway Administration
17 October 2009
FHWA 32-09
Contact: Doug Hecox
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Phone: 202-366-0660
$100 Million in Recovery Act Funding to Help One of Nation's Largest Highway Improvement Projects
SAN FRANCISCO - Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez today joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and others at a "commencement celebration" to announce construction on the Doyle Drive Replacement Project. The project will greatly reduce the risk of an earthquake severing a key commercial corridor for the Bay Area.
"This project has been talked about since the 1950s, and Recovery Funds are finally making it happen," said Administrator Mendez. "Secretary LaHood and I agree this means safety improvements for the Golden Gate Bridge's 91,000 daily drivers and an economic boost for the Bay Area."
The project - one of the largest in the nation - will replace the 73-year-old Doyle Drive, located on the southwest side of the Golden Gate Bridge, and make structural and seismic improvements to the neighboring Presidio Trust in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It provides access to San Francisco from the Golden Gate Bridge and is the primary link between the city and San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties to the south and Marin and Sonoma Counties to the north.
Replacing Doyle Drive has long been considered a priority by state and federal transportation planners. Earthquakes or structural failure to the existing roadway would force the closure of one of the Bay Area's major traffic corridors. An interruption in this route for even a short period of time would result in massive traffic congestion in both the North and East Bay areas, and an overburdened regional transit and ferry system.
When completed, the new access to the Golden Gate Bridge from the west side of the Bay will feature six lanes and a southbound auxiliary lane of new roadway for 1.5 miles from the bridge through the Presidio Trust to Richardson Avenue/Lombard Street. Construction is expected to be completed by 2013.
Twelve different funding sources, spanning federal, state, regional and local governments, will finance the billion-dollar project, including $100 million in Recovery Act funding.
Of the more than $26.6 billion in ARRA highway funds available nationwide, California's share is $2.57 billion. As of October 2, the state had funded 680 projects totaling $2.05 billion, with 90 projects under way.
This project is starting a year earlier than originally planned due to Recovery Act funding.