Pipeline Construction
May Affect Monterey Road
Commute in South San Jose
VISUAL: Electronic map of the pipeline route
available on request.
San José, California --- Commuters using
Monterey Road in south San Jose may begin experiencing some traffic delays
along a two-mile section between Blanchard and Bernal roads beginning
the week of May 19 due to pipeline construction that will last at least
through the fall.
Crews will start by placing the water pipeline along the western side
of the roadway from Blanchard to Metcalf Road, then switch to the east
side as far as Menard Drive. They will then switch back to the west side
and proceed to Bernal. Santa Teresa Boulevard and U.S. 101 are the alternate
routes. Caltrans is just completing the widening of U.S. 101 south of
this project area.
Several local streets in the Silver Creek and Santa Teresa neighborhoods
of south San Jose may also experience some traffic delays due to this
water pipeline construction over the next several months including portions
of Silver Creek Valley Road, Silicon Valley Boulevard, and Bernal Road.
The work involves construction of a 7-mile-long pipeline being built to
provide recycled water to commercial users in the Silver Creek, Santa
Teresa and North Coyote areas. A major customer will be the Metcalf Energy
Center, under construction at the intersection of Blanchard and Monterey
roads, which will use the water in its cooling towers once it is operational.
The new pipeline will connect to an existing 70-mile-long system at Silver
Creek Valley Road.
“Last year, this recycled water system provided more than two billion
gallons of recycled water to about 400 customers in San Jose, Santa Clara,
and Milpitas,” said Carl Mosher, San Jose environmental services
director. "South Bay Water Recycling is a joint project among several
jurisdictions and ranks as one of the larger and most successful ways
to conserve and make the best use of water in the state."
Funding for the $26 million project is being provided jointly by the City
of San José (lead agency for the San José/Santa Clara Water
Pollution Control Plant), the Santa Clara Valley Water District, Metcalf
Energy Center, and the California State Water Resources Control Board.
Pipes, other materials and equipment have already begun arriving in the
area. Construction will begin simultaneously on two segments (see map
for details):
- Northern Segment: Work will begin on Silver Creek Valley Road
at its intersection with Hellyer Avenue and proceed northwesterly to
its intersection with Yerba Buena Road.
- Southern Segment: Work will begin on Monterey Highway at its
intersection with Blanchard Road and proceed north to Bernal Road, which
becomes Silicon Valley Boulevard at highway 85. Construction will then
proceed east along Silicon Valley Road to its intersection with Hellyer
Avenue.
- An existing pipeline along Hellyer Avenue will connect the two new
segments.
Pipeline construction will involve the following work:
- Cutting a trench in the street, laying the pipeline, backfilling the
trench and then restoring the street surface.
- Traffic barriers will be installed to protect pedestrians and vehicles,
as well as to secure areas where supplies and equipment are kept while
construction is underway.
- To save time, the pipeline will be built by as many as four crews
starting at separate locations along the route.
- Some areas of the construction, such as the Bernal Road underpass,
will be completed during evenings and weekends to minimize traffic impacts
on commuters and residents.
The exact number of days that construction will take place in front
of any one property will depend on the length of its frontage, utility
conflicts, soil conditions and other variables. Work will occur between
7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. The Bernal ramp work at Monterey
Road will also involve work on Sunday to limit commuter impact.
“All work will be completed as quickly as possible to minimize inconvenience
to residents and businesses,” said Mosher. “All streets will
remain open, although traffic will be diverted around some intersections.”
Recycled water is produced from wastewater processed at the San José/Santa
Clara Water Pollution Control Plant, which serves San José and
eight other South Bay cities and sanitary districts. These agencies partnered
to fund South Bay Water Recycling, which has been adding commercial and
institutional customers since it began partial operation in 1997. The
City of San José is lead agency, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
and Santa Clara Valley Water District support the program through grant
funds and annual financial contributions.
Among the 400 current customers of the recycled water system, most of
whom use the water for turf irrigation, are the Silver Creek Country Club
Golf Course, San José Municipal Stadium where the San Jose Giants
play, the San Francisco Forty-Niners facility in Santa Clara, San Jose
State University, and a number of parks and school yards.
Using recycled water for irrigation and industrial processes saves potable
water (drinking water) for household use, thereby reducing the funding
necessary to import additional water into the South Bay from other watersheds.
It also means that this drought-proof source of water is not simply discharged
into San Francisco Bay without providing any further useful application.
Diverting it from discharge helps keep the Bay’s salt marshes from
converting to freshwater marshes, and thus protects wildlife habitat for
two endangered species.
For more information or to schedule a community
presentation:
Call the City's Customer Service Call Center at (408)277-4000.
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