Those cracks and potholes littering Carlos Bee Boulevard may soon be fixed. The city began road construction on August 19 which is expected to continue until February 2011.
Hayward City Engineer Morad Fakhrai states that the main focus of the Carlos Bee Blvd. project in addition to general upkeep is “improving the safety of the curvature of the road” so cars will not lose control on rainy days.
Unfortunately, access will be partially blocked during construction. The CSUEB Police Department urges commuters to use the Harder Road or the back entrance through Campus Drive. Although one lane both ways will remain open during the road work, University officials are urging students and staff to plan accordingly and expect possible delays. As of August 25 a span of the eastbound right lane was blocked off to traffic. Those who wish to help alleviate congestion can take the free CSUEB shuttle or AC Transit route 60 from the Hayward Bart Station.
The work on Carlos Bee Blvd. will coincide with the Route 238 Corridor Improvement Project which will stretch from Industrial Parkway through downtown to Foothill Boulevard past Grove Way. Planned improvements along the Mission Blvd. section directly west of campus will include paving sidewalks, installing streetlights, and redesigning landscape.
However, the project is more than beautification. It will change the physical layout of Foothill Blvd. and Mission Blvd. to alleviate traffic congestion through Hayward’s main arteries and allow greater access to the downtown. An additional left turn lane will be added to southbound Mission Blvd. at Carlos Bee allowing additional access to north campus. The entire intersection of Mission and Foothill will be redesigned with a more modern look. Bike lanes and sidewalks will also make the city more pedestrian friendly and hopefully increase foot traffic near shops and restaurants.
Most people would agree that Carlos Bee Blvd. and Mission Blvd. have begun to look a little run down in recent years. These improvements will help beautify the exterior of CSUEB’s Hayward Campus and its surrounding areas. Coupled with the Mission and Strategic Planning which is spearheading the many on campus construction projects, these much needed upgrades are sure to make our university look better than ever, you just might want to wear a hard hat.