Key Safety and Mobility Improvements Open at Mission/Warren in Fremont

Today, transit officials from VTA, Caltrans, the City of Fremont, and Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) celebrated improvements recently completed on the Mission/Warren Area Improvements Project. The new safety and mobility enhancements in south Fremont are also significant infrastructure upgrades that help make way for VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Berryessa Extension.  

Mission Boulevard (State Route 262) has been widened from four to six lanes between I-880 and Warm Springs Boulevard, and a lowered Warren Avenue separates the traveling public from Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) and future BART tracks. VTA has installed two new UPRR bridges, two BART bridges and one maintenance bridge over both Mission Boulevard and Warren Avenue to provide access to freight and commuter rail while effectively separating it from vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians.

“These important improvements have been on our wish list for many years,” said City of Fremont Mayor Bill Harrison. “I want to thank the business community and residents who have endured the construction and road closures. As a result, there will be no more lost time in your car waiting for the freight train to pass. I particularly appreciate the new pedestrian sidewalks, that were previously non-existent, and the new striped bike lanes which will help make this area much more accessible and safe.”

This project was a joint effort by the City of Fremont, ACTC, Caltrans and VTA. “Every community, every level of government, every person worked together to make sure their piece in this project got done,” said Congressman Mike Honda. “BART Silicon Valley and the Mission Warren Area Improvements is the greatest example of these communities having vision and determination.”

Total project cost was $151 million funded by a combination of Federal, State and Local sources.  The City of Fremont and both Alameda and Santa Clara counties made up 85% of the total cost for the Mission/Warren Improvements and, by coordinating the effort, the overall cost of the improvements was reduced by approximately $39 million.

Speakers at the event included: Mike Honda, U.S. Congressman; Jim Beall, California Senator; Bob Wieckowski, California Assemblyman; Scott Haggerty, Alameda County Supervisor, Alameda County Transportation Commissioner and Metropolitan Transportation Commissioner; Ash Kalra, VTA Board Chair and City of San Jose Councilmember; Bill Harrison, City of Fremont Mayor; John McPartland, BART Board Member; Bijan Sartipi, District Director, Caltrans District 4; and Nuria Fernandez, VTA General Manager/CEO.