By Victoria Eisen, Eisen|Letunic, Oakland’s consulting Caldecott Settlement Agreement Project Coordinator
The City of Oakland expects to begin construction on long-awaited improvements to the Tunnel Road/SR13/Hiller Drive intersection, Tunnel Road and Caldecott Lane as soon as this month. This project will stretch from Tunnel Road at the Berkeley border to the end of Caldecott Lane in the North Oakland hills and will feature the following components:
- Sidewalk that will connect Berkeley’s sidewalk on the south side of Tunnel road with the Tunnel/13/Hillerintersection (This Project is not Currently Funded and has not started).
- Shared use ramp and path on the south side of Tunnel Road to separate eastbound bicyclists and all pedestrians from traffic destined for the SR 13 onramp
- Upgraded/modified traffic signal at Tunnel/13/Hiller intersection with pedestrian push-buttons and bicycle detection
- Reconstructed median islands, new high-visibility crosswalks and new green thru-intersection bike lane markings at the Tunnel/13/Hiller intersection
- Micro-surfacing (a pavement treatment that is between a slurry seal and a complete repaving) on Caldecott Lane between Tunnel Road and the east end of Caldecott Lane
- Continuous bike lanes on Tunnel Road and Caldecott Lane between the Berkeley border and the east end of Caldecott Lane
Construction will begin once Caltrans issues the final encroachment permit and the contractor obtains their permit from Caltrans (the entire project is within Caltrans right-of-way). Indications that this roadwork is imminent will include notification letters to Hiller Drive residents and along Tunnel Road in Berkeley and large signs announcing the project. These signs will list the anticipated start and ending seasons (summer 2020 to spring 2021) and City of Oakland and contractor contact information.
Contact Sophea Sem, City of Oakland, at ssem2@oaklandca.gov or 510-715-7122, with construction-related questions or concerns, particularly once construction is underway.