MEDIA ADVISORY: The BART Warm Springs West Access Bridge and Plaza Opens This Week to the Public
FREMONT, Calif. - February 1, 2022 –The City of Fremont and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) together announce that the Warm Springs West Access Bridge and Plaza will officially open to pedestrians and bicyclists this Thursday, February 3 at 5 a.m. The West Access Bridge and Plaza Project is a $41 million investment that connects the surrounding community to transit, housing, and workplaces.
The surrounding land development includes up to 4,000 new housing units, as well as the newly constructed Lila Bringhurst Elementary School and Community Park. Future development includes local retail establishments, a hotel, and office buildings. The greater Fremont Warm Springs Innovation District is a hot bed for Silicon Valley research and development, with more than 50 clean tech firms and large employers such as Tesla and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
“This project and related development are a great example of how Fremont ‘makes things happen’ to keep advancing our city as an exceptional place to live, work, and play and to have options for traveling around our community,” said Fremont Mayor Lily Mei.
The City would like to acknowledge the partners that made this project possible, including BART, the owner of new station access point, Alameda County Transportation Commission, the primary source of construction funding ($30 million), Union Pacific Railroad, the provider of support for the bridge over their tracks, Biggs Cardosa Associates, the structural engineer, HNTB, the bridge architect, Gates and Associates, the plaza designer, and Shimmick Construction, the construction contractor.
“BART has a long history of working together with Fremont to create a transit-oriented community — the West Access Bridge and Plaza Project is one of the crowning jewels. We are excited to open the bridge and plaza to the public this week to enable a more seamless, enjoyable commute for all who work and live in Fremont,” said BART Director Liz Ames.
WHAT:
Soft Opening of the West Access Bridge
No formal event or press conference is planned. BART station agents will be present to allow media access.
The West Access Bridge is composed of a truss span and a cable stay span for a total length of about 250 feet and a 110-foot-tall pylon, over five operating railroad tracks.
The 1-acre Warm Springs Plaza creates a unique “sense of place” for the community, including amphitheater seating for concerts, architectural lighting, a public art installation, and landscaping.
WHEN:
Thursday, February 3, 2022
Gates will open at 5:00 a.m.
WHERE:
Warm Springs / South Fremont Station
Intersection of Innovation Way and Lopes Road
Fremont, CA 94539
A future celebration of Fremont’s Innovation District and the West Access Bridge will be planned as public health conditions allow. Additional information about this project can be found at: www.Fremont.gov/WarmSpringsPlaza. Please feel free to contact the City of Fremont or BART for additional information.
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CONTACT :
Geneva Bosques
Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs
City of Fremont
(510) 284-4094
gbosques@fremont.gov
Chris Filippi
Communications Officer
(510) 410-2274
cfilipp@bart.gov
Kerry Hillis
Government and Community Relations Representative
Khillis@bart.gov
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