Construction of the Central Avenue Safety Improvement Project [1] is underway. The project is expected to improve safety [2] for all street users and reduce vehicle delays.
[3]It includes a road diet with two motor vehicle travel lanes, a two-way left-turn lane as a center lane, bikeways, three funded roundabouts (Main Street/Pacific Avenue/Central Avenue, Third Street/Taylor Avenue/Central Avenue, Fourth Street/Ballena Boulevard/Central Avenue), resurfacing, improved bus stops, enhanced pedestrian crossings and street trees/raingardens.
Street closures and detours
Due to construction on the project, Central Avenue is currently closed to westbound travel between Fifth Street and Lincoln Avenue while the north side of the street is under construction. This means:
- Vehicles can only travel eastbound on Central Avenue between Fifth Street and Lincoln Avenue.
- Westbound vehicles are detoured from Central Avenue onto Fifth Street, then onto Marshall Way/Pacific Avenue, then back onto Central Avenue.
- Pedestrians and dismounted cyclists are detoured to cross Fifth Street or Lincoln Avenue.
- Residents living within the closed limits will have access to their driveways but cannot park on Central Avenue.
- Construction between Fifth Street/Central Avenue and Encinal Avenue/Sherman Street/Central Avenue is also ongoing. There will always be at least one lane of travel in each direction along that segment.
Funding
This project is funded by Measure BB, Alameda County’s transportation sales tax [4] and the following federal grants: U.S. EPA San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund [5], Active Transportation Program [6], Congestion Management & Air Quality/Surface Transportation Program [7] and One Bay Area Grant – OBAG3 [8].