Caltrain to replace four century-old bridges

This weekend, Caltrain will begin replacing the 100-year-old Tilton Avenue rail bridge as part of the San Mateo Bridges Replacement Project.

Track work will begin Friday night and continue through Nov. 9, Caltrain officials said in a news release. Trains will begin running on a single track on Nov. 8.

Caltrain will undertake the same process for the remaining three bridges in the San Mateo Bridges Replacement Project, which calls for replacing a total of four century-old bridges that don't meet current seismic safety standards.

The bridges are located at Tilton, Monte Diablo, Santa Inez and Polar avenues in San Mateo's north central neighborhood.

State and federal design requirements require raising the height of the tracks throughout the project area, Caltrain officials said. To accommodate the height increase, new retaining walls and fencing will be constructed on the Caltrain right of way.

Additionally, crews will remove vegetation, including shrubs, weeds, bushes, and trees, located on Caltrain property.