Port of Oakland to start modernizing vital access road for cargo trucks

Roughly 40% of all containers hauled in and out of the Port of Oakland travel along 7th Street, sometimes barely scraping through a deteriorating, graffitied Union Pacific Railroad underpass before connecting to Interstate 880 and arriving at their final destination.

The narrow passageway has reportedly produced such lengthy queues that as many as 50 trucks have been forced to wait in line for several hours to enter the marine terminals.

To fix that, a $364.5 million project will soon realign and reconstruct 7th Street — widening traffic lanes, heightening the underpass’ clearance, updating seismic standards and aiming to ease congestion for the hundreds of trucks that use this 90-year-old primary gateway to the port.

Kicking off the first phase of a larger, $718.8 million Global Opportunities at the Port of Oakland (GoPort) project, the Alameda County Transportation Commission awarded a $193 million contract to Bay Area-based Ghilotti Construction Company, Inc. last week, and extended an existing contract with HDR Engineering, Inc. to $17.5 million through 2027.

Construction is expected to break ground this summer, and the project is currently estimated to be completed by late 2026. Realignment of the west side of 7th Street, projected to cost $311 million, is still in the conceptual design phase and doesn't yet have a set timeline for completion.

Crucially, none of the rail or truck service along 7th Street will be stopped or disrupted during that time.

This joint effort between ACTC, the city of Oakland and its international port is vital to help minimize the likelihood that substandard roadways could create a domino effect of disruption, impacting supply chain trucking operations and shipping schedules.

In 2022, the Port of Oakland handled more than 2.3 million twenty-foot containers, making it the ninth busiest port in the nation. While that cargo volume accounts for nearly 99% of the containerized goods moving through Northern California, the port is already planning additional growth, including the use of Hydrogen fuel cell trucks and fueling stations.

In a statement, Port of Oakland spokesperson Marilyn Sandifur said that "improving this infrastructure supports safer transportation for truckers and the community, improved operations, and tens of thousands of jobs and positive economic impact for Oakland and the region."

The Project also will construct a fully-separated, ADA-compliant pathway for bicycles and pedestrians accessing Middle Harbor Shoreline Park and the Bay Trail, in addition to wall "greening" installed along the road to reduce traffic's negative impacts on public health in West Oakland.

The largest sources for funding for the project include $111 million pulled from Measure BB, which was approved in 2014 to increase local transportation sales tax, and $175 million granted from State Senate Bill 1 funds earmarked for Trade Corridor Enhancement Programs.

The Port of Oakland also chipped in $20 million that was secured from the California State Transportation Agency, in addition to $55 million from the voter-approved Regional Measure 3, which pooled toll increases on local state-owned bridges since 2019.

Tess Lengyel, ACTC's executive director, said it's been a long time coming.

While the project's final design was completed in December, she said ACTC first identified the need to modernize the corridor a decade prior.

Negotiations between the numerous property owners and stakeholders involved took several years longer than expected, she said, but the upcoming construction now coincides with the upcoming installation of a $43 million freight "intelligent transportation system," which utilizes smart traffic sensors, messaging and signals to help truck drivers more efficiently navigate the port.

Once completed, Lengyel said that beyond physically mitigating traffic choke points, each of these projects at the Port of Oakland will benefit the entire neighboring community by curtailing the quantity and duration of trucks idling in the area waiting for cargo, improving air quality and reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions.

"On the map, this kind of looks small, but when you think about what it does in terms of the modernization of the gateway to the Port of Oakland, it's huge," Lengyel said. "I think this is just such an important project, and we’re pleased that we can deliver another promise to the voters that are happy to support with local funds … Everybody sees it's a priority, so we’re moving forward and trying to get it built as quickly as we can."

Get Morning Report and other email newsletters