Berkeley Hills Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Berkeley Hills Tunnel is a tunnel carrying the Pittsburg/Bay Point - SFO Line of the Bay Area Rapid Transit
system beneath Grizzly Peak
between the Rockridge
and Orinda
stations. While the BART line runs in the median of California State Route 24
on either side of Grizzly Peak, the Berkeley Hills Tunnel follows a straighter alignment offset to the north of the Caldecott Tunnel
.
This tunnel was built because the Caldecott Tunnel was too small for BART.
The Berkeley Hills Tunnel serves the Pittsburg/Bay Point – SFO/Millbrae line, colored yellow on BART maps, between Rockridge and Orinda stations. It bores through the Berkeley Hills
east of Berkeley and Oakland a distance of 3.2 miles (5.1 km) through hard rock. The earthquake-active Hayward Fault bisects the tunnel about 1000 feet (304.8 m) inside the west portal (Oakland side). There are 2 bores, each about 22 feet (6.7 m) in diameter, spaced 50 feet (15.2 m) apart. Pedestrian cross-tunnels are spaced every 1000 feet (304.8 m) for emergency evacuation in case of fire, etc. There is a ventilation structure at the east portal with roll-down doors that can close off the tunnel end to allow air to be sucked out or blown in. Boring was completed in February 1967 after 465 work days. The tunnel was opened for revenue service in 1974.
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
system beneath Grizzly Peak
Grizzly Peak (Berkeley Hills)
Grizzly Peak is a summit in the Berkeley Hills above Berkeley, California. The peak is located on the border between Alameda and Contra Costa counties, within the boundaries of Tilden Regional Park, and directly behind the University of California, Berkeley campus.The peak was named for the...
between the Rockridge
Rockridge (BART station)
Rockridge is a Bay Area Rapid Transit station located in the Rockridge District of Oakland, California.The station has an island platform in the center median of State Route 24 at College Avenue west of the Caldecott Tunnel...
and Orinda
Orinda (BART station)
Orinda a Bay Area Rapid Transit station in Orinda, California. The station has of an island platform in the center median of State Route 24. The station is east of the Caldecott TunnelService at this station began on May 21, 1973....
stations. While the BART line runs in the median of California State Route 24
California State Route 24
State Route 24 in the U.S. state of California is a heavily-traveled east–west freeway in the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay Area of northern California that runs from the Interstate 580/Interstate 980 interchange in Oakland to the Interstate 680 junction in Walnut Creek...
on either side of Grizzly Peak, the Berkeley Hills Tunnel follows a straighter alignment offset to the north of the Caldecott Tunnel
Caldecott Tunnel
The Caldecott Tunnel is a three bore highway tunnel between Oakland, California and Contra Costa County, California. The east-west tunnel is signed as a part of State Route 24, which is also known as the William Byron Rumford...
.
This tunnel was built because the Caldecott Tunnel was too small for BART.
The Berkeley Hills Tunnel serves the Pittsburg/Bay Point – SFO/Millbrae line, colored yellow on BART maps, between Rockridge and Orinda stations. It bores through the Berkeley Hills
Berkeley Hills
The Berkeley Hills are a range of the Pacific Coast Ranges that overlook the northeast side of the valley that surrounds San Francisco Bay. They were previously called the "Contra Costa Range/Hills" , but with the establishment of Berkeley and the University of California, the current usage was...
east of Berkeley and Oakland a distance of 3.2 miles (5.1 km) through hard rock. The earthquake-active Hayward Fault bisects the tunnel about 1000 feet (304.8 m) inside the west portal (Oakland side). There are 2 bores, each about 22 feet (6.7 m) in diameter, spaced 50 feet (15.2 m) apart. Pedestrian cross-tunnels are spaced every 1000 feet (304.8 m) for emergency evacuation in case of fire, etc. There is a ventilation structure at the east portal with roll-down doors that can close off the tunnel end to allow air to be sucked out or blown in. Boring was completed in February 1967 after 465 work days. The tunnel was opened for revenue service in 1974.