BART Shutting Down Orinda Station This Weekend
To help make your ride, safer, smoother and quieter, BART is moving forward with a track replacement project near the Orinda Station, which will require five-weekend track shutdowns. During the work, there were be no BART service between Lafayette and Rockridge stations.
This will add 3,000 feet of new rail, upgrade the safety yellow stripe at Orinda Station and will replace some track components that haven’t been updated since 1973
Learn More: BART Press Release | Project Fact Sheet
The first-weekend track shutdown between Lafayette and Rockridge stations is May 9 and 10. Free bus shuttles will connect Lafayette, Orinda, and Rockridge stations. Riders traveling on the Yellow Line on weekend shutdowns should expect delays of 20-25 minutes.
The shutdown weekends are May 9-10, May 23-25 (Memorial Day weekend), June 6-7, June 20-21, and July 4-5. – Please note these dates are subject to change
The work will also require temporary, late night and early morning lane closures of Highway 24 in Orinda to make way for construction equipment. Periodic overnight lane closures in Orinda begin in mid-April.
These overnight lane closures will involve no more than two lanes and are expected to have minimal impact on Highway 24 drivers. Unlike similar work completed last year in Lafayette, this project will NOT require weekend daytime lane closures on Highway 24.
While BART was unable to accelerate the timeline of this project, the agency is continuing to work to improve the system and rebuild the aging infrastructure.
BART is moving forward with a major Measure RR-funded track replacement project near Orinda Station.
Next weekend, May 9 and 10, BART will close trackway between Rockridge and Lafayette. Free bus service will connect the stations. Expect 20-25 minutes of planned delay in area. pic.twitter.com/apKGtVocJV
— SFBART (@SFBART) May 1, 2020
This replacement effort has been designated as an essential public works project per the region’s public health orders issued in response to the coronavirus. BART is prioritizing the safety of its workers and contractors by following social distancing guidelines for all critical infrastructure projects that are allowed to proceed under state and regional stay-at-home orders.
- BART crews will work around-the-clock on shutdown weekends to replace critical railway components. Project highlights include:
- Replacing four-track switches that are at the end of their useful lives. These are large track components that can measure up to 200 feet in length and allow trains to move from line to line.
- Installing approximately 3,000 feet of new rail.
- Replacing approximately 300 badly worn wooden ties with longer-lasting, concrete ones.
- Replacing 600 to 800 tons of rock ballast, which is essential for stabilizing the rail.