Upcoming construction activity for the Express Lanes on I-680 between Walnut Creek and San Ramon requires a temporary, nighttime ramp closure. The construction activity will include asphalt repair work for the on-ramp. The following ramp closure is scheduled:
- The southbound Rudgear Road on-ramp is scheduled to be closed from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. each night Monday, January 30 through Wednesday, February 1.
Things to Know
Detour route for the southbound I-680 Rudgear Road on-ramp closure:
- Enter northbound I-680 from Rudgear Rd.,
- Continue on northbound I-680,
- Exit on the Olympic Blvd. off-ramp,
- Continue west on Olympic Blvd.,
- Enter southbound I-680.
When traveling near the construction site:
- Always use caution,
- Be prepared to reduce speeds,
- Follow posted signs.
Construction is a dynamic process and information is subject to change without notice. Work is subject to weather conditions.
For more information about the I-680 Express Lanes project between Walnut Creek and San Ramon, click here.
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The stolen car recovered on Eagleridge Drive in Antioch by County Deputy Sheriffs and Antioch Police following a high-speed chase, Saturday night, Jan. 28. 2017. photo by Allen Payton
By Jimmy Lee, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
On Saturday, January 28, 2017, at about 8:22 PM, a deputy sheriff observed a stolen vehicle travelling in the area of Somersville Road in Antioch.
Office of the Sheriff helicopter STARR3 was overhead as the deputy followed the vehicle on surface streets. A traffic enforcement stop was initiated at Buchanan Road and San Jose Drive in Antioch once Antioch PD units were in position to assist. The suspect vehicle failed to yield, leading the deputy and officers on a pursuit.
STARR3 stayed overhead following the pursuit.
The pursuit continued onto eastbound Highway 4 and then exited onto Hillcrest Avenue. In the area of Eagleridge Drive and Eagle Court, the two suspects fled on foot trying to hide in backyards. One person driving by who called the Herald said it looked like there were about 10 police and sheriffs vehicles on the scene.
One witness said he saw Sheriff’s Deputies and Antioch Police capture the two men in the backyard of a nearby home after they ran from the suspect vehicle. STARR3 directed ground units to where both suspects were hiding on Owl Court. They were taken into custody.
They are identified as 31-year-old Herbert Williams of Pittsburg and 29-year-old Etuate Faiva of Oakley. Both were booked on numerous charges: vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, evasion, obstruction, and probation violation.
Both are being held at the Martinez Detention Facility without bail.
Allen Payton contributed to this report.
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Sheriff David Livingston administers the oath of office to his new and promoted staff members on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017. photo courtesy of CCCSheriff
Contra Costa County Sheriff David O. Livingston recently administered the oath to those newly hired and those newly promoted at a ceremony in the Board of Supevisors Chambers, on Friday, Jan. 27.
Those hired represented a number of classifications: Deputy Sheriff, Sheriff’s Ranger, Sheriff’s Specialist, Sheriff’s Dispatcher, Criminalist, and various levels of Clerks.
Those newly promoted include Captains, Dispatch Director, Sergeants, Deputy Sheriff Forensics Supervisor, Forensics Supervisor, Dispatch Supervisor, Sheriff’s Ranger, Sheriff’s Specialist, Sheriff’s Aide, Accountant Supervisor, Administrative Services Assistant III, Accounting Technician, Clerical Supervisor and Lead Detention Services Worker.
Sheriff Livingston thanked the many family members in the audience for their support, which is critical to the success of the organization.
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The cache of weapons seized by a the county’s CASE Team from a Pittsburg home on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017. photo courtesy of CCCSheriff
After an investigation into alleged illegal gun sales, the CASE (Contra Costa County Anti-Violence Support Effort) team on Tuesday served a search warrant at a home on the 5100 block of Kirker Pass Road in Pittsburg.
During the search of the residence, CASE team members recovered a .416 Barrett rifle, .308 rifle, and a .223 Colt M4 semi-automatic rifle.
Two people were arrested at the residence: 34-year-old Mitchell Coelho and 32-year-old Mehgan Coelho. Both resided at the home.
They were booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on the following charges: felon in possession of a firearm, illegal transfer of a firearm and child endangerment.
Both are being held in lieu of $310,000 bail.
The CASE Team is a joint effort by the Office of the Sheriff, California Department of Justice, California Highway Patrol, Contra Costa County Probation Department, Pittsburg Police Department and Walnut Creek Police Department. CASE was created in November 2011 as a collaborative effort to reduce violent crimes in Contra Costa, especially those related to illegal firearms.
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Damage to Alhambra Valley Road between Bear Creek Road and Castro Ranch Road. courtesy of CCCSheriff
Marsh Creek, Alhambra Valley Roads still closed; cleanup continues
During a special meeting on Thursday, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors ratified a proclamation of local emergency stemming from storm damage that took place during the first two weeks of January. High winds coupled with continued rains over a short timeframe led to an estimated $18 million in damage in a number of unincorporated areas of the County, within our cities, and at water, park and sanitation district facilities. The proclamation, along with the State’s declaration of a State of Emergency on Monday, will put the County and local jurisdictions in line for potential recovery funding.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, (FEMA,) is doing site visits throughout the state this week, along with the State Office of Emergency Services. It will take several months for the County, working with State and Federal authorities, to get a more firm total on the damages and what costs can be covered.
At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Contra Costa County Supervisor Candace Andersen praised Public Works, the Sheriff and the Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services workers for their efforts to respond quickly to the storm’s impacts, noting that repairs are being made as quickly as possible. Public Works Director Julie Bueren agreed, noting that months of work in advance by Public Works and Flood Control District staff helped to minimize the problems in the unincorporated area. Two problem areas that were closed are now open: Morgan Territory Road and McEwen Road.
Two major road closures are still in effect in Contra Costa County:
- Marsh Creek Road between the Clayton city limits and Deer Valley Road
- Alhambra Valley Road between Bear Creek and Castro Ranch Roads
Marsh Creek is open for local traffic only. Caltrans and County officials are working jointly developing a plan to repair the sinkhole on Alhambra Valley Road.
With more rain expected next week, and the ground still very saturated from previous storms, you are encouraged to use any gaps in the rain to prepare for the next wave, checking rain gutters and storm drains for blockage. If you’re concerned about flooding at your home or business, it’s not too late to visit one of the sandbag stations located throughout the county. Please note that you’ll need to bring a shovel, but bags and sand are available for free. Find out details regarding County sandbag sites at www.cccounty.us/sandbags.
County Public Works Maintenance road crews maintain the storm drain inlets through a program of annual inspection and cleaning. To report a clogged catch basin or drainage inlet please call the Public Works Maintenance Division at 925-313-7000 during work hours and after hours call Sheriff’s Dispatch at 925-646-2441.
Important phone numbers and webpages:
(925) 313-7000 Public Works Maintenance Division- For emergencies during normal business hours
(707) 551-4100 California Highway Patrol- For emergencies after hours
(925) 646-2441 Contra Costa County Sheriffs Dispatch- For emergencies after hours
http://www.cccounty.us/sandbags – Contra Costa County Sandbag Locations
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Artist’s rendering of the planned bicycle/pedestrian path on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. courtesy of MTC.
The Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) has begun construction on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Access Improvement Project to ease traffic congestion, improve vehicle access to the bridge, and establish a bicycle/pedestrian path connecting Contra Costa and Marin counties.
This exciting project will employ an innovative approach for congestion relief by converting the existing eastbound shoulder to a third lane during evening commute hours. Electronic signs will be used to indicate when the third lane is open to eastbound motorists. After the third lane is completed (weather-permitting in late 2017), a bicycle/pedestrian path will be built on the upper deck to connect critical portions of the San Francisco Bay Trail.
Beginning this week, travelers will see the installation of temporary striping and barriers (k-rail) to protect construction workers along eastbound 580.
- Shoulder Closures –The right shoulder of the eastbound Richmond San Rafael Bridge will be closed from 5am to 2pm daily during the week of Jan. 23. Both traffic lanes will remain open.
- Nighttime Construction– Through Saturday morning, Jan. 28, temporary striping and barriers (k-rail) will be installed along both eastbound and westbound I-580 from Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Marin County to Castro Street in Contra Costa County. One lane will remain open at all times
- Bicycle Shuttle By Request – Starting Thursday January 26, the existing bicycle access on 580 between Marine Street and Stenmark Drive in Richmond will no longer be available. In lieu of freeway access, a free shuttle with bike racks will be available from 7am to 7pm. PLEASE NOTE: The shuttle may take up to 20 minutes to arrive once called (510-715-1465). Cyclists will no longer have access to freeway shoulders.
During the week of Jan. 30:
- Main Street Eastbound On / Off Ramp Closures – Temporary nighttime closures of the eastbound I-580 Main Street on- and off-ramps in San Rafael will occur. The San Quentin/Main Street off-ramp will be closed from 7pm to 6am; and the on-ramp will be closed from 9pm to 6am. Please see detour maps below.
February Nighttime Construction
- Starting in February, the contractor will relocate a water main under Main Street between Francisco Blvd. and the eastbound I-580 on- and off-ramps. Construction will occur at night to minimize traffic impacts.
Notice: This information is based on the work plans submitted by the contractors which are subject to change for various reasons. For the most current information on all lane and ramp closures please check the web site shown below before beginning your travel.
You are receiving this e-mail as a courtesy from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Access Improvement Project. We send out notifications when contractors on the project plan a lane closure or construction activity that may have an effect on traffic in the vicinity. If you no longer wish to receive these notifications, please respond to this e-mail and state that you would like to be removed from the distribution list.
For More Information
For more information or to see a video about the project, please click here. If you have additional questions about the project or construction updates, please call the project hotline at (510) 273-3640.
The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Access Improvement Project is made possible by a partnership between BATA, Caltrans, the Contra Costa County Transportation Authority (CCTA), and the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM).
About the RSR Bridge:
Over the last 50 years, the Richmond San Rafael (RSR) Bridge has efficiently and effectively served Bay Area travelers while seeing a steady increase in daily vehicle use in recent years. From 2009 to 2014, the Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) across the bridge climbed from 70,000 to 80,000 representing a 14.3-percentage increase. The RSR Bridge Access Improvements will ease congestion by increasing vehicle capacity on the Bridge and providing a new route for non-motorized travelers.
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From Left to Right: Mike Bakaldin, Interim General Manager; Phil Govea, Engineering Services Director; Joaquin Gonzalez, Operations Manager holding the plaque; Amanda Roa, Environmental Programs Manager; and Robert Brothers, Environmental Compliance Specialist II.
Delta Diablo was honored in Sacramento on Thursday evening, January 19th with a prestigious 2016 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA). GEELA is California’s highest environmental honor, administered by the California Environmental Protection Agency.
The program recognizes individuals, organizations, and businesses who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made notable, voluntary contributions in conserving California’s precious resources, protecting and enhancing our environment, building public-private partnerships and strengthening the state’s economy.
This award recognizes Delta Diablo for its commitment and achievements in sustainability. At Delta Diablo, sustainability is not just one project or program, but rather a mindset that is holistically expressed throughout the entire organization. This can be observed through the recycled water and renewable energy projects that we implement, the innovative technologies we pilot, and the regional coalitions we lead.
These projects and programs reflect how Delta Diablo embodies sustainability and excellence throughout the organization, achieving 12 consecutive years of 100% permit compliance, and awards at every level in the organization for public education, safety, financial reporting, human resources, labor relations, procurement, engineering, leadership and innovation. Delta Diablo is proud to help maintain sustainable facilities, practices, and communities, and desires to be a Utility of the Future to advance the state of the industry for water resource recovery, helping to create a sustainable California.
Delta Diablo’s Board of Directors’ Chair Pete Longmire confirms: “This award recognizes every aspect of Delta Diablo’s services and the efforts of all our dedicated employees across every department. It is a recognition of the daily work they do providing critical public health and resource recovery services to 200,000 people in Antioch, Bay Point and Pittsburg, as well as their leadership with several regional industry coalitions.”
Each year GEELA recipients are chosen from five categories and Delta Diablo was recognized under the “Sustainable Practices, Communities or Facilities” category.
Delta Diablo (District) provides water resource recovery services for the City of Antioch, the City of Pittsburg, and the unincorporated community of Bay Point, serving a population of nearly 200,000. The water resource recovery services consist of conventional treatment of wastewater, recycled water production and distribution, pollution prevention, energy recovery, beneficial reuse of biosolids, street sweeping, and household hazardous waste collection. For more information visit www.deltadiablo.org.
Read MoreDetectives from the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division continue to look into an automobile burglary, where a rifle was taken from a Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent’s vehicle.
An MP5 10 mm semi-automatic rifle, ammunition, and a police vest were taken. The rifle was lawfully stored in the vehicle.
Detectives continue to follow up on leads and are working with the FBI and Orinda Police Department.
Any further questions on this case should be directed to the FBI.
Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to contact the Office of the Sheriff Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. For any tips, call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message or email: tips@so.cccounty.us.
Read MoreMike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and their team are excited to return to CALIFORNIA! They plan to film episodes of the hit series AMERICAN PICKERS throughout the region in Spring 2017. AMERICAN PICKERS is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique ‘picking’ on the History channel. The hit show follows Mike and Frank, two of the most skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques.
They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them.
As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, Mike and Frank are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, the Pickers want to meet characters with remarkable and exceptional items.
The pair hopes to give historically significant objects a new lease on life, while learning a thing or two about America’s past along the way.
Mike and Frank have seen a lot of rusty gold over the years and are always looking to discover something they’ve never seen before. They are ready to find extraordinary items and hear fascinating tales about them.
AMERICAN PICKERS is looking for leads and would love to explore your hidden treasure. If you or someone you know has a large, private collection or accumulation of antiques that the Pickers can spend the better part of the day looking through, send us your name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to: americanpickers@cineflix.com or call 855-OLD-RUST (653-7878).
Read MoreContra Costa’s Urban Limit Line was established in 1990 and strengthened in 2004. Its purpose was to prevent urban sprawl into virgin agricultural land and preserve for the county’s citizens open space for their enjoyment.
A developer is now petitioning the county’s supervisors to approve a so called 30-acre development that breaks the ULL and will build 125 homes in rural Tassajara Valley. In 2006, Contra Costa voters approved Measure L that further strengthened the ULL by requiring an election and a majority vote of the county’s voters to approve any development outside the ULL. An exception was granted to allow the supervisors to approve developments not exceeding 30 acres and if one of seven named exceptions could be cited.
It is very important that this development be stopped. The developer is offering the county a check for $4 million and to dedicate another 500 acres for non-urban use. While enticing, this offer should be rejected by our supervisors. If the county accepts this “deal”, it will establish a precedent for other developers to “break the line”. The blueprint of a $4 million check and land donation will have been established.
Measure L required five year reviews by the county’s Department of Conservation and Development to determine if the ULL needed to be adjusted for reasons that included population growth and the availability of land for development within the ULL. This department concluded in their December 20, 2016 report to the supervisors that there was sufficient developable land within the ULL through the year 2036, i.e., no need to build outside the ULL.
Our supervisors, Federal Glover of District 5 and Diane Burgis of District 3 have good environmental records. Indeed, supervisor Glover has consistently supported the ULL. In a May 2016 interview by another news source, Glover stated: “I have always contended that the Urban Limit Line was necessary so that our region would not grow more than what our infrastructure could handle. Traffic, police services and schools are the main services that suffer when growth happens too fast.”The recently elected District 3 supervisor, Diane Burgis, has strong environmental credentials having established them in her position as executive director of Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed.
The proposed development, “Tassajara Parks”, will be coming soon before the Board of Supervisors for a vote. While this development is not in the eastern portion of our county, the precedent that this development would set will make all lands outside the ULL susceptible to development. Write or E-mail your supervisor and make your voices heard. Tell them not to compromise, reject this development project and protect the ULL. Our supervisors will listen to us, the voters. E-mail supervisors Glover and Burgis at district5@bos.cccounty.us and dist3@bos.cccounty.us. More information is available at tassajaravalleypa.org.
Gretchen Logue
Richard Fischer
Tassajara Valley Preservation Association
Tassajaravalleypa.org
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