The California Department of Transportation announced Thursday it has awarded $15 million in grant funds for three projects in the Alameda Corridor-East grade separation program of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments.
The funds are part of the Section 190 Grade Separation Program, a competitive grant program jointly administered with the California Public Utilities Commission, which provides up to $15 million each year in state funding to local agencies for the construction of grade separation projects focused on eliminating existing at-grade highway-rail crossings.
“We appreciate the support of Caltrans and the CPUC for our grade separation projects and welcome this funding that will be instrumental to completing these critically important infrastructure projects in the San Gabriel Valley,” said El Monte Councilwoman Victoria Martinez, chair of the SGVCOG Capital Projects and Construction Committee, which oversees the grade separation program.
The grant program will contribute $5 million each toward the completion of roadway underpasses currently in construction on Fairway Drive and Fullerton Road in the City of Industry and the unincorporated community Rowland Heights, and on Durfee Avenue in Pico Rivera.
The Fairway Drive railroad crossing is used daily by an estimated 24,800 vehicles, which is projected to increase to 26,500 vehicles by 2025, the SGVCOG said. The separation project is expected to be completed in summer 2021 and would reduce traffic congestion by an estimated 27.6 vehicle hours of delay each day at the crossing. The project’s cost is estimated at $186.9 million.
The Fullerton Road railroad crossing is used daily by an estimated 23,716 vehicles, projected to increase to 25,315 vehicles by 2025, the SGVCOG said.
The grade separation project is expected to be completed in summer 2021 and would reduce an estimated 50.4 vehicle hours of delay each day at the crossing. The project’s cost is set at $152.4 million.
The Durfee Avenue railroad crossing is used daily on average by 13,600 vehicles, projected to increase to 14,300 vehicles by 2025, the SGVCOG said. The grade separation project is expected to be completed in fall 2021 and would reduce an estimated 15.3 vehicle-hours of delay each day at the crossing. The project’s cost is estimated at $105.5 million.