{"id":8685962,"date":"2022-12-11T07:00:01","date_gmt":"2022-12-11T15:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/?p=8685962&preview=true&preview_id=8685962"},"modified":"2022-12-14T12:09:31","modified_gmt":"2022-12-14T20:09:31","slug":"bridging-the-gap-new-east-bay-overcrossing-to-connect-major-trail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eastbaytimes.com\/2022\/12\/11\/bridging-the-gap-new-east-bay-overcrossing-to-connect-major-trail\/","title":{"rendered":"Bridging the gap: New East Bay overcrossing to connect major trail"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"For nearly two decades, the Highway 4 bypass has cut right through the Mokelumne Trail in Brentwood, blocking access and forcing pedestrians and cyclists to take a long detour on busy Lone Tree Way to continue on the path.<\/p>\n

Finally, a bridge being built over the bypass will connect the two trail segments.<\/p>\n

Years in the making, the bridge will close the gap created two decades ago when Highway 4 was expanded. By connecting the two sides of the Mokelumne Trail, the bridge will offer safe access for cyclists and pedestrians for commuting and recreational travel, according to officials.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen that bridge is put in, you\u2019ll be able to travel from the Bay Area all the way out to the Sierra Nevada,\u201d Brentwood Mayor Joel Bryant said. \u201cThere\u2019s a pretty extensive trail system that this connects to already.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Funding for the $13 million overcrossing will come from Measure J, the State Route 4 Bypass Authority and bridge toll funds.<\/p>\n

Construction for the Contra Costa Transportation Authority Highway 4 bypass overcrossing began in March and is expected to be completed by spring. The project will have one of the shortest construction timelines in the authority\u2019s history, officials said.<\/p>\n

The 850-foot bridge features a 16-foot-wide trail to accommodate both bicyclists and pedestrians and meets Americans with Disabilities Act standards to support use by all community members. It will also be wide enough for future autonomous shuttles\u00a0— small electric pod cars now in the development stage — that possibly could traverse the bridge in the future.<\/p>\n

Bryant noted that Brentwood is one of the four East Contra Costa County cities planning to partner with Glydways, a South San Francisco firm, to test an on-demand autonomous electric pod<\/a> car transit system.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be working together with Glydways to have that system in place eventually, hopefully,\u201d he said. \u201cSo this bridge will enable personal, autonomous vehicle technology to potentially use it as well. So people can have alternatives to the traffic on Highway 4.”<\/p>\n

Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe, a member of East County Transportation Planning and a CCTA commissioner, also applauded the new bridge that will help Antioch connect via a trail to Brentwood and possibly accommodate other future transportation modes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe design is wide enough so that if we ever do use autonomous vehicles, they can easily maneuver through there,\u201d he said in an interview.\u00a0\u201cBut the primary purpose of that pedestrian bridge is obviously to connect the Mokelumne Trail and give pedestrian connectivity between Brentwood and Antioch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, mobile transportation is important and a priority, but the higher importance here is getting people off of cars and into bicycles and alternative modes of transportation and better utilizing our trails that connect us that connect all of Eastern Contra Costa County.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thorpe noted that East Contra Costa County has high rates of obesity and diabetes and it\u2019s important to promote healthy living and exercise.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver here in Antioch, we\u2019ll have a ‘bicycle garden’<\/a> that will be part of that as well,\u201d Thorpe said of the planned bicycle park with real-life traffic features to teach cyclists. \u201cWe\u2019ll work toward really getting people, especially kids under 18, to really utilize their bicycles and make our city and that whole network (of trails) safer for pedestrians.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A
A new pedestrian bridge is constructed across the Highway 4 bypass in Brentwood, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. The bridge will reconnect the Mokelumne Trail for cyclists and pedestrians. (Jane Tyska\/Bay Area News Group) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The bridge will have other benefits as well, officials note.<\/p>\n

The overcrossing is located in a 240-acre parcel south of Lone Tree Way and north of Sand Creek Road designated as a mixed-use, pedestrian transit zone. The bridge will connect pedestrians to the future Innovation Center at Brentwood, a workplace community that is planned as a high-tech business area and will include employers and housing.<\/p>\n

An interim transit station, including a park-and-ride facility with bus service from Brentwood to Antioch, is also being evaluated for the site near the bridge. BART has also eyed the land there for a future eBart<\/a> station, according to officials.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the first domino,\u201d Bryant said of the overcrossing under construction.<\/p>\n

\"A
A new pedestrian bridge is constructed across the Highway 4 bypass in Brentwood, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. The bridge will reconnect the Mokelumne Trail for cyclists and pedestrians. (Jane Tyska\/Bay Area News Group) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThis is very important, both for the quality of life for our residents that enjoy the trails, as as well as providing an opportunity for people to maybe do a reverse commute to the jobs that are going to be in the Innovation Center and safely use that bridge to come to housing here, come to shopping here and still help address the concerns with traffic and greenhouse gases.\u201d<\/p>\n