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On Wednesday, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved a total of $50 million for two infrastructure projects, including $40 million for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) project in the Silicon Valley.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) received $40 million in Traffic Congestion Relief Program (TCRP) funding for construction of the 10-mile Berryessa extension, which is scheduled to begin in early 2012. The recent installment of funds is the third of six totaling $240 million that the project will receive under the CTC’s TCRP Allocation Plan, VTA officials said in a prepared statement.

In addition, the CTC awarded $10 million in Highway-Railroad Crossing Safety Account funding to the city of Fremont, Calif., for the Kato Road grade separation project, which is part of corridor preparation work for the BART extension. Construction is slated to begin after the contract is awarded in September.

“The state’s continued commitment to bring BART to Silicon Valley and ongoing support of the efforts taken to enhance safety, ease traffic and reduce emissions is evidence that transportation improvements and quality of life remain a priority in California,” said VTA Chairwoman Margaret Abe-Koga.