Vasco Road (California)
Encyclopedia
Vasco Road is an unnumbered highway that connects Livermore, California
and Brentwood, California
. Although it is not part of the California State Highway system, it is the principal north-south commuter route serving eastern Contra Costa
and Alameda Counties. The two counties are each responsible for maintaining the portion of the road within their boundaries. The traffic count in 2008 was estimated at more than 25,000 vehicles per day. Weekend traffic is also heavy in spring and summer, when residents from other parts of California flock to the recreation areas along the Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta.
Booming population growth caused a sharp increase in housing prices throughout the Bay Area. People working in Silicon Valley
and the Tri-Valley
areas began moving into the relatively undeveloped East County area of Contra Costa County. By the early 1990s, traffic congestion on Vasco Road had become severe and accidents were frequent.
In 1996, concurrently with the construction of Los Vaqueros Reservoir
, a 12.8-mile segment of Vasco was relocated and widened to accommodate increased traffic and heavy trucks. The old roadway was submerged by the reservoir. When the road re-opened, it carried about 16,000 vehicles per day. In 2009, Vasco Road was extended northwestward from Walnut Street to Marsh Creek Road, where it joined the third segment of John Marsh Heritage Highway (a.k.a. California State Route 4 Bypass). In 2010, a section of the road in Alameda County was relocated and widened, eliminating a steep narrow section with several switchbacks.
Inside Livermore, Vasco Road is a city thoroughfare with many intersecting streets that are not detailed here. It is a major connection to I-580. It also provides access to the Vasco Road
ACE
station, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
, and the Livermore campus of Sandia National Laboratory. The southern end of Vasco Road is at Tesla Road in Livermore.
The engineering firm that performed the safety report considered the feasibility of installing a concrete barrier down the center median. This proposal was rejected because of the high cost, as well as objections by some county agencies about lack of adequate access to emergencies. As an alternative, the engineers recommended that Contra Costa County install "rumble strips" from Walnut Boulevard to the Alameda county line. These are roughened strips of asphalt placed down the center line and the sides of each lane, intended to alert drivers when they stray off the road or into the oncoming traffic lane. This alternative was implemented by the county, along with adding "Do Not Pass" and "Passing Lane Ahead" signs at appropriate places.
In August 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 3 into law, establishing a "double fine" section on Vasco Road from Walnut Boulevard in Brentwood to Interstate 580 in Livermore. The law doubled the fines for "unlawful passing and overtaking, excessive speed, reckless driving, drunken driving and other serious moving violations" until Jan. 1, 2010. Road signs declaring the double fine zone were still up as of August 2010.
Contra Costa County began a project in 2010 to install a median barrier along a one-mile stretch of the road. This also required widening the roadway and a bridge, building retaining walls, and extending a passing lane.
Livermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
and Brentwood, California
Brentwood, California
Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population is 51,481 as of 2010....
. Although it is not part of the California State Highway system, it is the principal north-south commuter route serving eastern Contra Costa
Contra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...
and Alameda Counties. The two counties are each responsible for maintaining the portion of the road within their boundaries. The traffic count in 2008 was estimated at more than 25,000 vehicles per day. Weekend traffic is also heavy in spring and summer, when residents from other parts of California flock to the recreation areas along the Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta.
History
Originally, Vasco Road was a two-lane, very narrow highway that began at U. S. Highway 50 (now Interstate 580) and wound over the Diablo Range and through the Kellogg Creek valley. In 1957, Alameda County linked three other streets inside Livermore to extend Vasco to Tesla Road. A ribbon-cutting ceremony opened the new Vasco Road on August 1, 1958.Booming population growth caused a sharp increase in housing prices throughout the Bay Area. People working in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
and the Tri-Valley
Tri-Valley
Tri-Valley is a triangle-shaped region in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area. The area is 18 miles southeast of Oakland and 33 miles from San Francisco...
areas began moving into the relatively undeveloped East County area of Contra Costa County. By the early 1990s, traffic congestion on Vasco Road had become severe and accidents were frequent.
In 1996, concurrently with the construction of Los Vaqueros Reservoir
Los Vaqueros Reservoir
The Los Vaqueros Reservoir was completed by the Contra Costa Water District in 1998 to improve the quality of drinking water for its 550,000 customers in Central and Eastern Contra Costa County in Northern California...
, a 12.8-mile segment of Vasco was relocated and widened to accommodate increased traffic and heavy trucks. The old roadway was submerged by the reservoir. When the road re-opened, it carried about 16,000 vehicles per day. In 2009, Vasco Road was extended northwestward from Walnut Street to Marsh Creek Road, where it joined the third segment of John Marsh Heritage Highway (a.k.a. California State Route 4 Bypass). In 2010, a section of the road in Alameda County was relocated and widened, eliminating a steep narrow section with several switchbacks.
Major Intersections
Starting from Brentwood and proceeding southward to Livermore:- Marsh Creek Road connects to SR 4 east of Vasco and runs westward along Marsh CreekMarsh Creek (California)Marsh Creek is a stream in Contra Costa County, California in Northern California which flows to the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta at Oakley, California, in Contra Costa County.-History:...
to Clayton, CaliforniaClayton, CaliforniaClayton is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 10,897 as of the 2010 census.- Geography :...
. - Walnut Street provides access to downtown Brentwood. This intersection is the north end of Vasco Road and the junction with California SR 4 Bypass.
- Camino Diablo, a major intersection between the two cities, provides access eastbound to Byron, CaliforniaByron, CaliforniaByron is a census-designated place in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 1,277 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
and continues west to intersect Marsh Creek Road. - Dalton Street is the northern limit of Livermore.
Inside Livermore, Vasco Road is a city thoroughfare with many intersecting streets that are not detailed here. It is a major connection to I-580. It also provides access to the Vasco Road
Vasco Road (ACE station)
Vasco Road Station is current ACE and future BART rail station on Vasco Road in eastern Livermore, California.-Service:The station mainly serves the workers of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory and the surrounding industrial and office parks in eastern Livermore in...
ACE
Altamont Commuter Express
The Altamont Commuter Express is a regional rail service in California connecting Stockton with San Jose....
station, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , just outside Livermore, California, is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center founded by the University of California in 1952...
, and the Livermore campus of Sandia National Laboratory. The southern end of Vasco Road is at Tesla Road in Livermore.
Attractions
- Altamont wind farms (not open to the public)
- Brushy Peak Regional PreserveBrushy Peak Regional PreserveBrushy Peak Regional Preserve is a regional park that is part of the East Bay Regional Parks and the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District systems. It is located in unincorporated land just north of Livermore, California.- External links :...
, part of both the East Bay Regional Park DistrictEast Bay Regional Park DistrictThe East Bay Regional Park District is a special district operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California, within the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area...
and the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (LARPD). - John Marsh House. Currently under restoration and not open to the public.
- Los Vaqueros ReservoirLos Vaqueros ReservoirThe Los Vaqueros Reservoir was completed by the Contra Costa Water District in 1998 to improve the quality of drinking water for its 550,000 customers in Central and Eastern Contra Costa County in Northern California...
, with vehicular access to both northern and southern ends. - Vasco Caves, part of East Bay Regional Park DistrictEast Bay Regional Park DistrictThe East Bay Regional Park District is a special district operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California, within the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area...
. Wildlife and animal refuge part of the park is open for the public. Co-located Native American archeological site with wall paintings is not accessible to the public.
Safety issues
As originally constructed, Vasco Road was unprepared to meet the demands of high-volume traffic. Blind curves, narrow lanes, steep hills and inadequate shoulders all contributed to the increasing number of accidents. Some of these issues remained even after the relocation and reconstruction of much of the road. Many of these accidents were fatal, head-on collisions. A 2004 engineering study reported that there had been 254 collisions during the period June 1996 through August 2003.The engineering firm that performed the safety report considered the feasibility of installing a concrete barrier down the center median. This proposal was rejected because of the high cost, as well as objections by some county agencies about lack of adequate access to emergencies. As an alternative, the engineers recommended that Contra Costa County install "rumble strips" from Walnut Boulevard to the Alameda county line. These are roughened strips of asphalt placed down the center line and the sides of each lane, intended to alert drivers when they stray off the road or into the oncoming traffic lane. This alternative was implemented by the county, along with adding "Do Not Pass" and "Passing Lane Ahead" signs at appropriate places.
In August 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 3 into law, establishing a "double fine" section on Vasco Road from Walnut Boulevard in Brentwood to Interstate 580 in Livermore. The law doubled the fines for "unlawful passing and overtaking, excessive speed, reckless driving, drunken driving and other serious moving violations" until Jan. 1, 2010. Road signs declaring the double fine zone were still up as of August 2010.
Contra Costa County began a project in 2010 to install a median barrier along a one-mile stretch of the road. This also required widening the roadway and a bridge, building retaining walls, and extending a passing lane.