Highway 239 proposal starts coming into view
Residents can voice opinions on 17-mile stretch until Feb. 4
Progress is finally being made on a long-envisioned four-lane highway to link east Contra Costa County with points south.
Six decades in the making, Highway 239 will begin north of Marsh Creek Road on Vasco Road in Contra Costa County and continue south to one of two locations: Interstate 205 in San Joaquin County or Interstate 580 in Alameda County.
Officials have called the 17mile Highway 239 project critical to the region and needed relief from increasing commuter traffic through Byron. It will also enhance mobility in eastern Contra Costa County, and improve access to the Byron Airport, they say.
But until recently, the project had stalled because of lack of funding, said Stephanie Hu, director of projects at the Contra
Costa Transporation Authority.
Now, a total of $14 million in federal funds has been earmarked for this project, she said. In addition, Contra Costa County has committed a little over $4 million, and the project is in line for $10 million of Regional Measure 3 funds, when that money becomes available.
“There has been public interest in driving this project forward for quite some time,” she added.
The project is being planned by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority partnering with Caltrans. Residents are being asked to give feedback on the Highway 239 proposal.
It’s too early in the environmental review process to say which route — the one that connects in Tracy or the one that goes to Alameda County — will be preferred, Hu said.
“The ultimate State Route 239, as envisioned, will be approximately 17 miles in length and it will be costly to complete,” she said, saying it was too early to estimate the total cost.
Brentwood Mayor Joel Bryant, who is an alternate on the Contra Costa Transportation Authority Board, has been watching progress on the longsought roadway for years and thinks it will be a big plus for his city.
“We’re keeping a really close eye on it as a city,” Bryant said. “In general, to have a route to let big trucks and commerce go up and down between Highway 205 and up through the current Byron Highway, that would open it up. It would really benefit the businesses out here and really be attractive to future businesses that would want to come out here to bring high-paying jobs to be able to get products and materials in and out.”
Sean Wright, CEO of An
tioch’s Chamber of Commerce, agreed.
“The Antioch Chamber of Commerce is excited to see Highway 239 move to the next phase,” he said. “We are proud of our lobbying over the last 10 years to help our elected officials see the importance of this project for the Bay Area and east Contra Costa specifically.”
Wright said Highway 239 would connect Antioch to Interstate 5, the biggest north-to-south artery in the state.
“This will open us up to goods movement and give another entrance and exit to the Bay Area, which will help to create much-needed jobs for our citizens,” he said.
Bryant agreed that the benefits would not just be for far east Contra Costa but all of the county’s eastern cities and towns and beyond.
“All of our cities — Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Discovery Bay, Tracy — that whole corridor will be able to see a tremendous opportunity economically because of this,” he said.
The initial first segment, which is common to both proposed routes, includes improvement to Vasco Road North from near Marsh Creek Road to Armstrong Road near the Byron Airport. The northern
section would eventually consist of a four-lane highway with two lanes going in each direction.
Bryant said that the northern segment near the airport would especially be valuable to commercial businesses such as the drone industry, computer and medical products that could move their products in and out more easily with a four-lane highway.
“The pressure-relief valve area for the Bay Area is east Contra Costa; we have the land,” Bryant said. “And, so in the future, the growth, we see it all coming this direction. Having the ability to manage the additional traffic, business traffic, transportation traffic (with a new highway) … it would make it much easier for the Byron Airport to have some commercial uses as well.”
Brentwood City Manager Tim Ogden, in an
email, said his staff is still tracking the project, and watching the scoping process for potential environmental issues to see how it goes. “Once the environmental review is open, we’ll comment then, and take a position if needed,” he said.
Bryant said he and others are still waiting to hear the pros and cons of both the route to Tracy and the one to Alameda County before endorsing one or the other.
“Any improvements would be very beneficial” for businesses and manufacturers in the area, he said.
The mayor also touted the safety benefits of diverting some traffic off the heavily trafficked Vasco Road, a popular northsouth commute route.
“Anyone that has traveled Vasco during the commute will agree that any kind of relief to move away from Vasco during commute hours would be a great benefit and a tremendous safety benefit,” the mayor adding, noting that Vasco Road has been a dangerous roadway for commuters.
Highway 239 was designated as a state route by the Legislature in 1959, but studies after that progressed slowly. Contra Costa County was granted $14 million in federal earmark monies for planning in 2005. By 2015, following an earlier feasibility study, two alternative routes were proposed, and by 2020 the project approval phase and environmental review to study the alternative routes had begun.
The project’s environmental review is expected to be completed by 2024 — when federal earmarked funds expire. Construction would begin before 2030, possibly sooner than planned if additional monies come through from President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, the mayor said.
“It could happen a lot faster than was previously anticipated,” Bryant said.