Caltrain Advances Guadalupe River Bridge Replacement Project

The Guadalupe River Bridge Replacement Project will replace the Northbound Bridge (MT-1), built in 1935, and extend the Southbound Bridge (MT-2) for passenger and freight rail service.

Caltrain

Caltrain on Jan. 31 will host a virtual community meeting on the $63.3 million Guadalupe River Bridge Replacement Project in San Jose, Calif., which will replace the northbound wooden trestle bridge built in 1935 and extend the southbound concrete bridge built in 1990.

Construction is slated to start next month and run through summer 2025. Caltrain commuter rail service operates over both bridges, which are also used by Union Pacific (UP), Amtrak and Altamont Commuter Express (ACE). The bridges are located just north of Caltrain’s Tamien Station.

The Northbound Bridge (MT-1), built in 1935, has been damaged by multiple fires and will be replaced with a new concrete structure to meet current railroad structural design standards and seismic criteria, according to Caltrain. The replacement bridge structure will be 265 feet.

The Southbound Bridge (MT-2), built in 1990, will be extended at the southern end due to river flow speeds and riverbank erosion, Caltrain reported. The bridge will be 250 feet with the extension.

According to Caltrain, the bridges are located in an area of high erosion and are at risk of bank failure during storm events; riverbank failures have occurred in several previous years, requiring emergency stabilization measures. To address these safety issues and protect the rail bridges, the project will conduct channel work, including erosion prevention, and complete the necessary bridge improvements to “maintain safe and reliable operations for all users,” the agency said.

The project is backed by funding from the California Transportation Commission, California Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, San Mateo County Transit District, San Francisco County Transportation Authority, San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, UP and Valley Transportation Authority.

Caltrain’s Jan. 31 meeting will focus on the need for the project and the benefits and plan for construction, and will offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions. For more details, visit the project website.