Bridge widening project starts in Santa Clara County

LOS ALTOS, Calif. -- Commuters using Foothill Expressway could be delayed by 10 minutes or more Monday at Loyola Corners as work begins on the Loyola Bridge widening project in Santa Clara County, county officials said.

The delays may last until May 2016, when officials expect crews to complete the work.

Phase one of the project begins today as workers close the innermost lanes of both directions of the expressway to begin adding new foundations and bridge columns. Crews will close the outside lanes of the expressway in June to allow work to be done on new bridge abutments and retaining walls, county officials said.

The Loyola Bridge was built in 1967 and is considered functionally obsolete because it is so narrow. County officials awarded the construction work to Granite Construction Co. in February for $3.4 million.

The project will widen the bridge by 23 feet on the north side and 15 feet on the south side. The project will increase the lanes on the bridge to four, build Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalks and allow for a bike lane in each direction.

The wider bridge will have one through lane in each direction and one turn lane in each direction. Workers will also improve the southbound Foothill Expressway off-ramp, build a system of sidewalks/refuges at street corners west of the bridge and beautify the area as nearby residents have asked, county officials said.