A new bridge is going up near the intersection of Hecker Pass
Highway and Burchell Road.
A new bridge is going up near the intersection of Hecker Pass Highway and Burchell Road. The project will also widen Hecker Pass Highway and introduce retaining walls.
After each period of construction, Caltrans crews will clear materials and restore the site the best they can. Once the $10 million, state-funded project is complete in 2010, workers will also replace nearly two acres of leveled oak trees, according to state documents.
The more spacious roadway, which will be built to the north, avoids uprooting any of the prized deodar cedar trees lining the south side of Highway 152, and bike lanes along the improved roadway will add a new flavor to the roadway. The northern bike lane will also allow turns onto Burchell Road before continuing over the new bridge, and the stretch of road improvement will include wrapping a 1,136-foot retaining wall along the northeastern intersection of the scenic highway and Burchell Road.
Connecting the eastern edge of the bike lanes – where Caltrans improvements begin outside the Gilroy Golf Course – to Santa Teresa Boulevard will occur as residential development planned for both sides of the highway occurs, according to city officials. Development up to this point is what triggered state requirements for additional turning lanes, wider shoulders and other safety improvements to Highway 152.
For a map of the current roadway and the proposed expansion and improvements, look below the photos.
