Santa Clara VTA approves construction of East San Jose light-rail extension

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority's (VTA) board last week approved a construction contract with MCM-Railwork for the East San Jose light-rail extension project in California.

The $653 million project involves extending light-rail service from the Alum Rock Transit Center 2.4 miles to the Eastridge Transit Center, with an elevated guideway above the Capitol Expressway corridor, and stations at Story Road and Eastridge Transit Center.

The Story Road Station will be elevated and accessed by a pedestrian overcrossing while Eastridge Transit Center will be an at-grade station. When the project is complete, VTA riders will be able to board light-rail trains at Eastridge Transit Center and connect directly with the Bay Area Rapid Transit system at the Milpitas Station.

The light-rail extension is the final phase of the larger Capitol Expressway Transit Improvement Project that will transform the Capitol Expressway into a multimodal expressway offering bus rapid transit and light-rail services, as well as connections to the regional transit system, according to the VTA. Construction on the extension is anticipated to start in summer.