Date: July 12, 2013
District: District 4 - Oakland
Contact: Vince Jacala
Phone: (510) 286-5206
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW $100 MILLION INTERSTATE
80 TRUCK COMPLEX WILL FAST-TRACK INSPECTIONS, INCREASE SAFETY
Driving will also be safer
for motorists who share the road with big rigs.
SOLANO COUNTY – The newest
and one of the largest truck inspection facilities in the state is set to open
later this month along eastbound Interstate 80 near Fairfield in Solano County.
The $100 million Cordelia Truck Scales will have greater capacity and improved
technology to handle more than two million trucks annually that travel from the
Port of Oakland on I-80 through Northern California and on to the rest of the
nation.
“Every investment we make in
infrastructure will help California’s economy,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm
Dougherty. “Truckers, businesses, and motorists will all benefit from this
state-of-the-art facility. It’s a winning combination for all.”
In 2012, more than 2.4 million trucks traveled
through the old facility, and more
than 40,000 inspections were performed. The new facility features multiple
inspection bays and weigh-in-motion scales, which do not require trucks to come
to a full stop to be weighed, making inspections more efficient.
“The new facility
will help the CHP carry out our mission of saving lives, and improve our
ability to inspect trucks and protect our roads for many years to come” said
CHP Commander Mike Ferrell. “Although
the facility may seem large and have a lot of technology, it was designed with
truck traffic estimates for the year 2035 in mind.”
As
part of the safety improvements, trucks will have longer exits and entrances
onto I-80 and State Route 12 and new ramps
that will make
it safer for trucks entering and exiting the facility.
“The
old facility was built in 1958, and could no longer handle the current levels
of truck traffic,” said Caltrans District 4 Director Bijan Sartipi.”By
contrast, this new facility will not only handle today’s demands, but the
projected increases for the next thirty years.”
-more-
Caltrans,
the California Highway Patrol, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and
the Solano Transportation Authority (STA) were partners in the project, which
received 50 percent of its funding from the State Highway Operation and
Protection Program and 50 percent from regional/local funds.
“This new facility is
truly a funding and delivery partnership effort,” said Metropolitan
Transportation Commissioner and Solano County Supervisor Jim Spering. “It is a prime example of improving safety,
goods movement, and boosting the local economy for the traveling public.”
Steve Hardy, Vacaville Mayor and member of the
Solano Transportation Authority said, “It’s not only an improvement for truck
and transport safety. The new scales will help drivers spend less time tied-up
in traffic. It’s an improvement we’ve needed for a long time.”
The new scales
will officially open to truck traffic the week of July 22nd. Once truck traffic
is routed through the new scales, the demolition of the old scales will begin
and should be completed by this fall.
Construction on
the new scales started in spring 2012. Berkeley-based O.C. Jones and Sons
constructed the new roadway, overpasses and connectors. Landmark Construction
built the new truck bays and CHP office complex.
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