UPDATE: West Dublin Pleasanton BART Construction Project To Cost $106 Million

The construction of pedestrian bridges at the West Dublin/Pleasanton BART station brings the project a step closer to completion after a major delay last year.

The $106 million project will feature a "free" area that allows people to walk from Pleasanton to Dublin without having to buy BART tickets.

The project will also give commuters a stop in the 10 miles between the Castro Valley and the Dublin/Pleasanton stations.

The project was delayed last year after Caltrans found that the welding process used for building a previous set of pedestrian bridges did not meet their standards. Caltrans monitors the bridge portions of the project because they straddle Interstate 580.

Project manager Jim Gravesande said the two agencies had different standards in "what was used to guide the construction [of the bridges]."

BART agreed to rebuild the bridges and in June and July workers placed the structures spanning 200 feet over the freeway. The work caused freeway closures as workers had to move freeway signage to make it more visible to drivers.

Gravesande said the structure consists of two different pieces in order to meet emergency standards. The bridges zigzag above the freeway rather than providing a linear path, so that there will be two exits in case of an emergency.

Another visible feature of the structures is the translucent fiberglass panel, made up of Kal wall--a material that Gravesande said is "cheaper than glass" and would be easy to repair if damaged. 

 Completed parking structures in both Dublin and Pleasanton will provide about 1,150 parking spots combined. Gravesande said the next steps in the project include completing the electrical system.

Developments on both sides of the station, which called for including hotels and apartment units on the Dublin side and a transit-oriented development with retail, housing and offices on the Pleasanton side, have been delayed because of the economy.

Funding for the West Dublin/Pleasanton project comes from a public-private partnership.  Previously, the project costs were estimated at $80 million.

But replacing the substandard bridges and a longer timeline added to the costs. Here is an updated breakdown for the project:

• The new overall cost projection is at $106 million

• Previous estimates were at $86. 5 million with $56.5 coming from bond revenues, $15 million from private sources and $15 million from state and local grants.

• Last year's delay leaves a $20 million shortfall. BART officials say that the money will come from a combination of sources, including private partners, a return on a loan BART made to the City of Dublin, and other BART funds.
• BART is still negotiating another $2.5 million (part of the additional $20 million needed).