Guadalupe River Bridge Replacement Project

The Guadalupe River Bridge Replacement Project in San Jose involves replacing the aging 1935 wooden northbound trestle bridge with a new 265-foot concrete structure while extending the 1990 concrete southbound bridge by 90 feet and widening the river channel by approximately 75 feet to connect with the existing Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Reach 6 Bypass channel downstream. These improvements aim to enhance structural safety, accommodate future rail needs, and mitigate flood risks. Construction is expected to take about two years and is scheduled to begin in 2022, with key environmental and permitting activities continuing into 2026. The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board is amending an existing encroachment permit to allow for pruning in the Reach 6 floodplain using hand tools, extending work hours into the evening during dry seasons for staging and logistics, and conducting early site preparation below the riverbank to facilitate river diversion infrastructure. Separately, an additional encroachment permit is being issued to implement the Habitat Mitigation and Monitoring Plan, which includes grading, planting, and other habitat enhancement initiatives on Valley Water right-of-way to offset environmental impacts. These efforts are coordinated through Valley Water and the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, with oversight from key personnel including Michael Martin of Valley Water and Michael Tauchen of Caltrain. The project is located in San Jose, California, with all activities confined to specified easements and property owned by Valley Water, and is being pursued under the framework of environmental compliance and long-term infrastructure resilience.