Q Are there plans to pave Chatham Road in Oakland exiting west Interstate 580? It is absolutely horrible! A main thoroughfare that is heavily traveled and is bumpy, full of patches and potholes. Needless to say, it plays havoc on your car's suspension and tires.

Jeri Robinson


A Alas, Chatham is not on the city's five-year paving list. For a list of Oakland streets on the repair list, go to www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca1/groups/pwa/documents/report/oak030333.pdf.

Q There is no Highway 4 exit coming from Highway 160 in Rio Vista or from Oakley to get to the Brentwood area. We now have to go all the way to Antioch, turn around, and get back on Highway 4 to head towards Brentwood. When will they build an exit? It seems silly that Caltrans never thought of that when they made the prior highway modifications.

Kathi Bradley

Rio Vista

A Exit ramps from Route 160 to Highway 4 have been planned for some time, but work was delayed by a lack of funding. Now there is cash in hand left over from a surplus when the Antioch Bridge was retrofitted. Expect a groundbreaking fairly soon, say Contra Costa County officials.


Q I live in Oakley, near the Center of Oakley, which is where the new City Hall is on Main Street. Every time someone comes to visit me for the first time, they end up off Laurel Street in the middle of nowhere and can't figure out what happened to Oakley.

The signage on Highway 4 at the split between 160, says Oakley/Brentwood, stay on Highway 4 and 160. But 160 leads to Rio Vista and Sacramento. Only once you are on 160 is there a sign for Oakley Main Street. Many of my neighbors are miffed at this oversight. Is there any plan to correct this?

Roberta Anderson

Friend of the lost

A The new 4-160 exits will bring new signs.

Q Are you freaking kidding me right now? They just made Dixon Landing Road one lane each way until December as they work on the BART extension. They couldn't wait to finish Warren Avenue first? Why do they hate us and want us to have miserable commutes in every possible direction?

I'm trapped in between the Warren, Kato, Mission at 880 and 680, Grimmer and now Dixon Landing messes. I don't know how much more we can take.

Jennifer Aguirre


A It will be miserable for a spell. Dixon Landing is down to one lane each way between Milmont Road and N. Milpitas Boulevard so utilities can be moved to build a new bridge with BART running below Dixon.

Then this summer Dixon Landing will be completely closed between Milmont and N. Milpitas Boulevard for up to eight months. Try Kato Road and Milmont as options.

Q O great oracle of the roads: Is there any news when the Warren Avenue undercrossing will reopen? It looks like all they need to do is finish covering the walls and pave the road.

Kevin Campbell


A July is the target. Crews are now working on retaining walls, sidewalks, lighting, utilities, traffic signals and the new roadway. The intersection must be lowered to meet the new road design.

And ...

Q I am amazed at some of the work that has to be done to dig Warren under the railroad tracks and BART. One weekend Kato was closed at Warren because they were moving a creek where it crosses under Warren. I've seen moving utilities, but moving a creek? I was really excited the first time I saw a train using the new railroad bridge, as that was an important milestone.

Kevin Campbell

A It was indeed.

Q There is no lane line just before the Highway 87 exit at Capitol Expressway in San Jose going north and after exit. It looks like blacktop repairs were done and lines were left undone. Cars in the center lane come into the right lane assuming the lane ends at the exit. It is not an exit only lane. Please let the highway authorities know.

Valerie Butler

San Jose

A I have. Fresh striping will be installed by Memorial Day.

Q Randomly, and only very occasionally, a nice recorded announcement comes on at some VTA light rail stations telling you when the next train will arrive. It happens so infrequently that it has to be a glitch. Why isn't this regular and commonplace?

Anthony Moor

A It will be in about a year. Station announcements were turned off because of hardware and software issues, but the transit agency is planning to install a better announcement system. The reason you hear them every once in a while is the VTA sometimes needs to test the system.
