A regional transportation board has approved nearly $28 million to help reduce traffic congestion at the Highway 101 and Highway 84 interchange near the Port of Redwood City, a deep-water port in the southern San Francisco Bay and a leading West Coast foreign trade agency.
The money was awarded to the San Mateo County Transportation Authority and Redwood City from Regional Measure 3 toll funds. It was approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) last Wednesday. An additional $20.5 million from the same funding source is expected later this year, officials said.
While the 1970s-era Highway 101/Highway 84 interchange marks the gateway to the Port of Redwood City, officials say it can no longer handle current traffic, creating roadway safety problems and challenges to freight mobility and rail movement.
MTC commissioner and San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa said improvements will also help ease congestion on surface streets near the port and improve safety at train crossings. Construction is slated to begin in 2027 and also includes four miles of new bike/pedestrian paths and improved transit shuttle access, linking Caltrain and the future San Francisco Bay Ferry terminal planned for Redwood City.
Specifically, the $300 million-project adds three lanes in each direction on Woodside Road, plus turn pockets. Plans also call for more turn lanes at Blomquist Street, East Bayshore Road, Broadway and Bay Road.
The project area is designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as able to withstand an earthquake up to 8.8 magnitude, but having top-notch infrastructure will be key when the next large earthquake strikes the Bay Area.
“This infrastructure investment in the Port of Redwood City will not only be a super boost to Silicon Valley’s economic prowess, but as a certified Federal Staging Area, these dollars will help the port be better prepared to save lives and assist in critical recovery efforts when the Bay Area faces the next big quake,’’ Canepa said in a statement.