Major switch at 85/101 Major switch at 85/101 (June 25, 2004)

Bridge opening June 25 to be major improvement to interchange

By Jon Wiener

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has completed the first of four bridges at the 85/101 interchange in Mountain View, bringing some relief to drivers trying to navigate the complicated series of exits and on-ramps in the area.

Starting June 25, the new bridge will take commuters from northbound Highway 85 to northbound Highway 101 via a long auxiliary ramp that goes underneath Shoreline Boulevard and past Old Middlefield Way before finally merging onto the freeway. It will eventually serve as the direct connection between northbound 85 and Shoreline, and eliminate an unnecessary highway merge.

"We're literally at the climax of the whole project," said VTA spokesperson Brandi Hall.

Previously, drivers traveling from 85 onto 101 needed to merge with traffic exiting at Shoreline, and drivers on 85 wanting to exit at Shoreline would have to use 101. Separating these connections will allow construction workers to widen 101, demolish and rebuild the existing on-ramp from northbound 85 to northbound 101.

According to VTA's projections, an estimated 17,000 drivers pass through the area during the busiest commute hour. Caltrans data for 1998 stated the average daily traffic volume in the area at 233,000.

The project began in January of 2003, more than six years after county voters passed Measure B, a sales tax increase, in 1996. The $124-million interchange project is the most expensive highway improvement project to come out of the measure and one of the most expensive such projects in regional history.

E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com

E-mail a friend a link to this story.