Caltrans awards $15 million in grade-separation project grants

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has awarded $15 million in state grants for three projects in the Alameda Corridor-East (ACE) grade-separation program of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG).

The grant program will contribute $5 million each toward the completion of roadway underpasses under construction on Fairway Drive and Fullerton Road in Industry, California; in Rowland Heights, California; and on Durfee Avenue in Pico, Rivera, California, according to a SGVCOG press release.

The funds are part of the Section 190 Grade Separation Program, a competitive grant program jointly administered with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which provides up to $15 million annually in state funding to local agencies for the construction of grade-separation projects.

Funds are allocated based on CPUC-established priorities of projects most urgently in need, SGVCOG officials said. Out of 36 grade-separation projects on the 2018-19 priority list, the Fairway Drive project ranked No. 5, the Durfee Avenue project ranked No. 9 and the Fullerton Road project ranked No. 16.

The Fairway Drive crossing is used daily by 24,800 vehicles. That number is projected to increase to 26,500 by 2025. The $186.9 million grade-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, according to SGVCOG.

The Fullerton Road crossing is used daily by by 23,716 vehicles, a number projected to increase to 25,315 vehicles by 2025. The $152.4 million grade-separation project is expected to be completed by 2021 and would reduce an estimated 50.4 vehicle hours of delay each day at the crossing.

The Durfee Avenue crossing is used daily by 13,600 vehicles, a number projected to increase to 14,300 vehicles by 2025. The $105.5 million 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.

Forty-nine trains traverse the crossings daily on the Fairway, Fullerton and Durfee roads. The projects are among 19 grade separations at crossings in eastern Los Angeles County to mitigate the impact of growth in trade transported by rail along the ACE trade corridor, SGVCOG officials said.