New artery to reduce congestion on roadways

 Motorists and bicyclists ride down the newly opened Hale Avenue Extension. Photo by Calvin Nuttall

By Calvin Nuttall

After more than five decades of planning, discussions, and construction, the Hale Avenue Extension Project finally reached the end of the road. The extension bridges the gap between West Main and West Dunne avenues, providing a much-needed transportation link for the growing community.

Expected to provide much-needed relief on Morgan Hill’s increasingly congested roadways, the extension was made possible by a partnership between the city of Morgan Hill, Valley Water, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.

Photo by Calvin Nuttall

“Hale Avenue is a story of perseverance, and with our past and current elected officials making decisions to keep this project going,” said Mayor Mark Turner at the Aug. 24 ribbon-cutting ceremony. “It didn’t come easy, it took a lot of advocacy as we were the very first project in the County Expressway funding category to be funded. These projects are difficult, and without the hard work of the dedicated staff, it would not have happened.”

The project was constructed in two phases, with Phase I completed by DeSilva Gates Construction under a $14.1 million contract with the city. Phase II was completed by Flatiron West and the cost was shared by the city and Valley Water. Due to problems that arose with the underground utilities near the roadway, significant portions of it had to be dug up and repaved, causing significant delays.

“The project has been a long time coming,” Turner said. “It was originally reviewed in 1969 as part of the city’s general plan. It will take traffic out of our downtown and off of residential streets near schools and neighborhoods. It provides a safe bike and ped path to provide connections for non-motor vehicles, and it will make our community safer.”

The phased construction plan accommodated Valley Water’s Upper Llagas Creek Flood Control project, which needed to complete new water infrastructure beneath the planned roadway as a part of its effort to protect the Morgan Hill downtown and surrounding areas from flooding.

With Phase 2A of the flood control project completed, the roadway was able to be finished, and the project now continues into its final Phase 2B.

“This is the last phase of work on this critical project that, once complete, will protect more than 1,100 homes, 500 businesses and over 1,300 acres of agricultural land,” said Valley Water District 1 director and former mayor John Varela. “The collaboration between Valley Water and the city is a great example of the cooperation needed to save public funds while minimizing impacts into the community.”

VTA’s Measure B sale tax provided the bulk of the funding for the project at $16.5 million, allocated to Morgan Hill through the agency’s County Expressways program. Despite the fact the Hale Avenue Extension is not technically an “expressway,” advocates for the project negotiated to have it included in the program in order to see it to completion after its original source of funding ran out in 2012 with the dissolution of Morgan Hill’s redevelopment agency.

“This really is an exciting day,” said VTA General Manager Carolyn Gonot. “What is really important about this, is that this is the first major project that is being built under the 2016 County Expressway program. You should be very proud, you are the first project to be done.”

Passed in 2016, Measure B adds a half-cent sales tax to purchases made within the county in order to fund improvements to the regional transit system, which include not only “county expressways” like the Hale Extension but also local streets and roads, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, Caltrain, BART, highway interchanges, Highway 85, and transit operations such as VTA’s bus service.

“When VTA was asked to disseminate Measure B funds, we put together a list of programs with the help of the community,” Gonot said. “You clearly told us that you wanted to spend some of that money on specific projects, and we listened to that.”

VTA designed the project in accordance with its “complete streets” approach, which emphasizes safety and accessibility for all types of users.

“This is VTA’s approach to planning, designing, building, operating and maintaining streets that enable safe access for people of all ages and abilities,” Gonot said. “So you can now enjoy bike lanes, a shared pathway, highly visible crosswalks, ADA ramps, and landscaping. I would like to say that Morgan Hill, as one of our member agencies within our county-wide transportation agency, has actually made it a priority.”

The mood at the project ribbon-cutting was exuberant, with many past and present city and county leaders in attendance, eager to see the completion of a multi-generational project. Former mayors Steve Tate and Rich Constantine stood alongside current members of the Morgan Hill City Council to see the grand opening.

A procession of classic cars, which had been lining up since early morning, had the honor of taking the first lap on the long-awaited new roadway, symbolically bridging the past and future of Morgan Hill’s transportation infrastructure.

“I’ve been working in this county for more than 30 years now,” Gonot said. “I remember joining VTA about 26 years ago, and working on the first county-wide plan. I remember in 1999 putting projects into a plan for 20 years out . . . It’s been great seeing some of these projects come to fruition.”

Calvin Nuttall is a Morgan Hill-based freelance reporter and columnist.