SUNNYVALE, Calif. – The City of Sunnyvale is moving forward on the Mathilda Avenue overcrossing project. The project had been delayed due to a lawsuit that challenged portions of the project’s environmental impact report (EIR), but the project will now proceed with the City plan.
The Mathilda Avenue overcrossing project will widen and modify the Mathilda Avenue bridge at Evelyn Avenue and over the Caltrain tracks. Caltrans has identified issues with the bridge’s original design, notable among these are the lack of an adequate deceleration lane and the sharp turning radius to exit from southbound Mathilda Avenue to westbound Evelyn Avenue. The exit ramp is located mid-span on the bridge, directly over the Caltrain tracks.
A key element in any major project is community input. There were several opportunities for public comment on the Mathilda overcrossing project at both community outreach meetings and Council public hearings. While a public hearing does not mean that every point of view is necessarily adopted into the final design, it does ensure that all points of view are weighed by Council as they determine the best path forward for the City.
In November 2006, City Council approved the project. A lawsuit was then filed by David Whittum, a local resident, alleging the EIR failed to meet CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) requirements. Santa Clara County Superior Court determined the City in fact did meet all CEQA requirements, except in the area of construction noise mitigation. The City addressed the issue and filed an EIR addendum that essentially provided a more detailed explanation of why it is not feasible to reduce all construction-related noise impacts to less than a significant level, given that there are two residential neighborhoods in close proximity, and the project will require pile driving. In addition, Caltrain operational safety requirements will force about six nights of construction. With the addendum, the City did add some additional noise mitigation actions, such as requiring two pile drivers to be used in order to reduce the actual number of days of pile driving by more than 25 percent, and an offer to relocate noise-sensitive residents as needed during certain phases of construction.
The total duration of the construction is expected to be a little more than two years. In March 2008 the City was permitted to move forward with the project, relying on the amended EIR.
The year-and-a-half delay in the project created by the litigation has increased the projected cost by more than $10 million. Of this amount, approximately $1.2 million will be paid directly by the City, with the balance normally paid by the federal government. There is a risk, however, that the full amount of federal funding may no longer be available.
With the restart of the project, construction bids are expected by the end of the year. When completed, the overcrossing will feature not only an improved exit to Evelyn Avenue, but also new shoulders on the roadway, a safety barrier to protect pedestrians and upgraded sidewalks to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.