I-80/Ashby Avenue (SR-13) Interchange Improvements

The Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC), in collaboration with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the cities of Berkeley and Emeryville, proposes to reconstruct the I-80/Ashby Avenue interchange to ease congestion, provide better interstate access, and connect pedestrians and cyclists to the San Francisco Bay Trail.

A critical gateway to Emeryville and Berkeley, this voter-approved project will enhance, support and connect the community.

Improvements will include:
  • A new interchange structure to supply better connections to Shellmound Street, Frontage Road, and Point Emery
  • New bridges to provide vertical clearance along I-80 for freight vehicles
  • A new shared bicycle and pedestrian pathway to afford direct access to the San Francisco Bay Trail

This project was approved by Alameda County voters in 2014 under Measure BB and represents a direct investment in regional infrastructure and economic development.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing

This video simulates the proposed bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing (butterfly arch), one of three options discussed in the Draft Environmental Document.


Vehicle Overcrossing

This video simulates the view of the vehicle overcrossing showing pre-cast girders as discussed in DED (Westbound Ashby Avenue to Westbound I-80).


View From Freeway

This video simulates the view of the proposed project area from the freeway (Eastbound I-80 to San Pablo).


Aerial Overview

This video simulates the aerial overview of the proposed project area.

Air Quality Report

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) lead agency, on the I-80/Ashby Interchange Improvement Project, is noticing to disclose the results of the project-level air quality studies conducted for the project for public comment. Project-level conformity analysis shows that the project will conform to the State Implementation Plan (SIP), including localized impact analysis with interagency consultation for particulate matter (PM2.5) required by 40 CFR 93.116 and 93.123. This project is not considered a Project of Air Quality Concern (POAQC) regarding particulate matter (PM2.5) as defined in 40 CFR 93.123(b)(1). A detailed PM2.5 hot-spot analysis was not completed because Clean Air Act and 40 CFR 93.116 requirements are met without an explicit hot-spot analysis. The project comes from a conforming Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). Public comments are requested regarding the project-level conformity analysis for 30-days from June 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022. The Project Assessment Form for PM2.5 Interagency Consultation and the Air Quality Conformity Task Force determination are included in Appendix C of the Air Quality Study Report, which can be accessed here.

Your comments will be part of the public record. Please submit your formal comment(s) during the public review period that runs from from Wednesday, June 1, 2022 through Thursday, June 30, 2022 to Caltrans via the following options.

You can submit written comments via mail at:
Caltrans, District 4
Office of Environmental Analysis
ATTN: Brooklyn Klepl, Environmental Scientist
P.O. Box 23660, MS: 8B
Oakland, CA 94623-0660

Or email comments to I-80AshbyProject@dot.ca.gov. (preferred method due to COVID-19)

For more information, please contact us at (510) 504-7246 or visit us at www.I80Ashby.com. Thank you for your interest in this project!

For total project cost and phase information, see the project Fact Sheets tab. For the Draft Environmental Document (DED), see the project Resources tab. The DED public comment period was December 15, 2021 to January 31, 2022.

Project Fact Sheet

2022 Open House

On January 11, 2022, Caltrans and Alameda CTC held a virtual public open house to present an overview of the Draft Environmental Document (DED) and its appendices, and to inform the public about the benefits and environmental impacts of the I-80/Ashby Avenue interchange improvements.

Video

Comments on the DED continued to be submitted during the 45-day comment period through January 31, 2022. Details on submission can be found on the Overview and Resources tabs.

2019 OPEN HOUSE

The public was invited to attend an open house to learn about the project on May 22, 2019 at the South Berkeley Senior Center at which the following materials were presented. Additional comments and questions regarding the project can be submitted at any time to the project team at inquiry@I80Ashby.com. Please visit the Resources tab for Frequently Asked Questions.

Posterboards

Maps

Video

I-80/Ashby Avenue video

Draft Environmental Document

The Draft Environmental Document (DED) and its appendices for the I-80/Ashby Avenue Improvements project were prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and are available for public review. The DED describes and evaluates the potential environmental impacts of this project.

The DED was circulated between December 15, 2021 and January 31, 2022 for public review and comments. It can be downloaded and reviewed from the links above, and digital copies of the DED are also available on the Caltrans website.

After receiving comments from the public, a Final Environmental Document will be prepared. The Final Environmental Document will include responses to formal comments received on the DED and will identify the preferred alternative(s). If the decision is made to approve the project, a Notice of Determination (NOD) will be published in compliance with CEQA.

When the NOD is made public, Caltrans will decide whether to issue a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or to require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to comply with NEPA. A Notice of Availability (NOA) of the FONSI will be sent to the affected federal, state, and local government agencies, and to the State Clearinghouse.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ashby Avenue is an important gateway to the cities of Emeryville and Berkeley. Currently, the I-80/Ashby Avenue Interchange has no connection between Shellmound Street and westbound I-80, nor between Shellmound Street and Frontage Road. Motorists traveling westbound can access the City of Emeryville only through the I-80/Powell Street Interchange. Taller freight trucks must also exit the I-80 and take surface streets instead. Taller freight trucks must also exit the I-80 and take surface streets instead.

The proposed project will provide a direct connection to the City of Emeryville for motorists on westbound I-80 as well as a direct connection to the San Francisco Bay Trail and Frontage Road for bicycles and pedestrians. It will also provide clearance for freight trucks, allowing them to avoid taking surface streets.

This project was included in the voter-approved 2014 Alameda County Transportation Expenditure Plan. Alameda CTC and partner agencies are working to deliver upon this promise.
The interchange improvements will enhance connectivity for all travelers, including motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, by:
  • Improving interstate access by car from both sides of I-80
  • Providing direct access to the San Francisco Bay Trail for pedestrians and cyclists
  • Increasing safety through incident management
The Draft Environmental Document (DED) and its appendices for this project are complete. Alameda CTC and Caltrans are accepting comments on the DED.

The remaining project schedule includes the following major milestones and estimated time frames:
  • Formal comment period for the Draft Environmental Document (DED) – December 15-January 31, 2022
  • Online Open House – January 11, 2022
  • Final design – mid 2022
  • Construction – late 2022 to early 2025
I-80/Ashby Avenue interchange improvements will ease traffic by improving interstate access while supporting pedestrians and cyclists.

The proposed project will provide a direct connection for motorists between Shellmound Street and westbound I-80 and realign access to West Frontage Road. The new interchange will replace the existing elevated interchange connector ramps with a new bridge over I-80, allowing freight trucks to remain safely on I-80 instead of exiting and reentering I-80 via local surface streets.

For bicyclists and pedestrians, the new interchange will introduce a new bicycle and pedestrian overcrossing and connection from 65th Street and Shellmound Street to the San Francisco Bay Trail.

You and all community members are invited to provide input on the Draft Environmental Document and its appendices during the formal public comment period, December 15, 2021 to January 31, 2022.

You are also invited to a virtual public open house on January 11, 2022. A recording of the open house will be posted on this website thereafter.