Yerba Buena Island West Side Bridge Retrofit Project - Groundbreaking Celebration

June 29, 2023 - Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol, CA

The San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA), along with project sponsors FHWA, Caltrans, MTC/BATA, and the Treasure Island Development Authority, broke ground on the Yerba Buena Island West Side Bridges Retrofit Project on June 16, 2023.

The Project will improve Treasure Island Road, Hillcrest Road, and the I-80 on-and off-ramps linking Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island to the I-80 San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. WMH has been providing support to SFCTA and the stakeholders for this project since 2011!  The West Side Bridges Retrofit Project will improve access and safety for public transportation, motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. This $126 million project is anticipated to be complete in 2026.

WMH Project Manager, Dave Dickinson said, “We are excited to see the results of all the hard work that went into this wonderful multi-modal project.  The efforts of so many – individuals and agencies alike – are being realized. This project will significantly improve safety and mobility for local and regional travelers.“

WMH was selected by the SFCTA to prepare the Seismic Strategy Reports, Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Documents (PA&ED), Final Design (PS&E), and Design Services During Construction (DSDC) to replace eight bridges along Treasure Island Road on Yerba Buena Island (YBI) in the San Francisco Bay.

Since the project is located on the side of a steep hill with unstable soil, complex retrofit and replacement strategies were developed to meet the unique conditions, geotechnical challenges, and environmental sensitivities. A Value Analysis (VA) process was undertaken to evaluate the initial concept of replacing the bridge structures in place.  The VA Study concluded that realigning Treasure Island Road into the hillside with retaining walls would reduce both risk and cost. 

The Construction Management/General Contractor (CM/GC) method of project delivery was also successfully utilized for the project. A consistent, thoughtful approach to the coordination with the YBI partner agencies was key to project success, with careful consideration of the goals and objectives of stakeholders, including the Treasure Island/YBI redevelopment, U.S. Coast Guard Homeland Security operations, and adjacent infrastructure projects. 

WMH supported acquisition of Project funding - documents, exhibits, cost estimates, applications, etc. – to program over $100M of Federal HBP funds, Prop 1B State funds, RAISE Grant funds, BATA funds, and more.

Andrew Fremier, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, said at the groundbreaking ceremony, “The multimodal access of the West Side Bridges project will bring us a big step closer to achieving the connectivity and sustainability goals envisioned in Plan Bay Area 2050.”

Photo Credit: Caltrans