Caltrain begins clearing vegetation for San Mateo bridge project

Caltrain began removing vegetation this week along four crossings as part of the San Mateo Bridge replacement project.

The four rail bridges in San Mateo, Calif.'s North Central neighborhood are more than 100 years old and no longer meet seismic safety standards, Caltrain officials said in a press release. The bridges will be replaced with single-span structures.

The vegetation removal is necessary because the clearance height of the single-span bridges has been increased to meet modern standards. As a result, retaining walls will need to be constructed. Site clearing work will allow those structures to be put in place, Caltrain officials said.

The removal work is expected to be completed in June. The project's construction phase is scheduled to begin in September and take about two years to complete.

The bridge replacement project is estimated to cost $30 million. The Federal Transit Administration is providing $20.6 million, state sources are providing $9 million and Caltrain is providing a $370,000 match.