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ANTIOCH -- There's no turning back now.

Work continues to roll forward on the Highway 4 widening project throughout the East Contra Costa corridor, as Pittsburg's Loveridge Road, all of Antioch's exits and Brentwood's Sand Creek Road will soon be in the midst of some kind of construction.

"This is an important step in expanding the mobility and efficiency of this region," Contra Costa Transportation Authority Executive Director Randell Iwasaki said Monday, during a "groundbreaking" for the interchange at Hillcrest Avenue -- the fifth and final segment of the project to widen Highway 4 from four to eight lanes.

Officials with the transportation authority and Caltrans used the event to take about 50 elected

Congressman Jerry McNerney (D-Stockton) looks outside a tour bus window towards road construction as vehicles travel on Highway 4 in Antioch, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 11, 2013. McNerney joined members of the media with state and local city officials on a bus tour of the Highway 4 corridor construction in East County. The tour, hosted by The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), BART, and Caltrans, took visitors to construction sites on Railroad Ave and the new eBART station being built on Bailey Road. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff)
officials, staff members and media members on a tour showing the progress on Highway 4, including a transfer station for BART's East Contra Costa extension, dubbed eBART.

Work to this point is going smoothly and on budget, they said.

Seven transit projects are under way in the region: the five to widen Highway 4 to eight lanes, the Brentwood project to widen Highway 4 to four lanes and add on- and offramps at Sand Creek and eBART. Each segment is coordinated so contractors don't overlap.

Work on the Hillcrest stretch, which starts next month, includes expanding the number of lanes from just east of the thoroughfare to the Highway 160 interchange, along with a on- and offramps at Hillcrest. It will also consist of several

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components of BART's Antioch station, including a pedestrian overcrossing, station platform and station house and a tunnel underneath the westbound lanes so trains can get into their maintenance station.

All told, the region's seven projects will total $1.3 billion worth of transit improvements for the region. The Highway 4 widening is scheduled to be completed by fall 2015, eBART two years later.

"This is going to create access throughout East Contra Costa," BART board Vice President Joel Keller said.

Much of the freeway construction removing old bridges and building new ones, adding retaining walls and expanding the roads is being done at night, meaning traffic is not obstructed during the day's peak hours. Iwasaki said.

However, the traffic has often been switched to different lanes and configurations as work is being done, which can be dangerous.

"Drivers really need to pay attention to the signs," Iwasaki said.

A point made by many at Monday's event is that the commute drive through Pittsburg and Antioch is one of the nation's worst. About 130,000 people drive Highway 4 each day, said Malcolm Dougherty, Caltrans director.

Officials hope the completed project will change that.

"I'm

Construction crews work on building an overpass on Railroad Avenue on Highway 4 in Pittsburg, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 11, 2013. Members of the media with state and local city officials traveled on a bus tour of the Highway 4 expansion project in East County. The tour took visitors to construction sites on Railroad Ave and the new eBART station being built on Bailey Road. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff)
tired of seeing traffic reporters featuring (Highway 4) on their reports," said Don Tatzin, the transportation authority's chair. "Hopefully, when (the widening) is done, they'll go elsewhere."

The highway widening will also improve the quality of life for East Contra Costa residents and be a catalyst for economic development, Antioch Mayor Wade Harper said.

"Every time lanes close, we're seeing progress. Every time the jackhammers are going, it means economic development," he said.

Contact Paul Burgarino at 925-779-7164. Follow him at Twitter.com/paulburgarino.

Where Things stand:
Here is what work is being done on each of the five segments for the Highway 4 widening project from Loveridge Road in Pittsburg to Highway 160, the widening at Sand Creek Road and eBART.
  • Loveridge to Somersville: Contractors are working on a bridge at Loveridge that goes over the freeway, along with on- and offramps. Work also continues on the bridge over Century Boulevard. Estimated completion date: summer 2014, though some parts may open sooner
  • Somersville to Contra Loma: Work continues on a new highway bridge over Somersville and retaining walls. Estimated completion date: summer 2013, but cannot open until Loveridge lanes are opened.
  • Contra Loma to Lone Tree: Half of the G Street bridge has been replaced, with construction on the other half of the bridge starting next month. Lots of creek work was recently completed. Estimated completion date: Late summer 2015
  • Lone Tree to Hillcrest: Work is being done on retaining walls and preparation work is under way for widening the road and a new bridge over Cavallo Road. Estimated completion date: Late summer 2015
  • Hillcrest to Highway 160 -- Work starts in March. Estimated completion date: November-December 2015.
  • Sand Creek -- Work continues on overpasses at Sand Creek, San Jose Avenue and Lone Tree Way. Estimated completion date: spring 2014
  • eBART -- Contractors are leveling the parking lot of the Antioch-Hillcrest BART station and completing a transfer station in Pittsburg. Estimated completion date: 2017