The new fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel will open by Saturday morning, a Caltrans director said.
Caltrans director Malcolm Dougherty made the announcement at a ribbon-cutting ceremony this afternoon for the new bore in the tunnel connecting Oakland and Orinda.
Dougherty did not provide a specific time for when the tunnel would open.
State and federal transportation officials as well as local city and county leaders were on hand this afternoon to celebrate the long-awaited tunnel, which is expected to unclog off-peak traffic heading toward the tunnel.
"With the completion of the fourth tunnel, Bay Area residents will get to where they're going more efficiently and safely through this
historically congested area," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
The $417 million project was funded largely by federal stimulus funding as well as through revenue from Measure J, a half-cent sales tax approved by Contra Costa County voters in 2004.
