Vasco Road is a roadway over the
Diablo Range
The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges in northern California, United States. It stretches from the eastern San Francisco Bay area at its northern end to the Salinas Valley are ...
that connects
Livermore and
Brentwood, California. Although it is not part of the California State Highway system, it is the principal north–south commuter route serving eastern
Alameda
An alameda is a Avenue (landscape), street or path lined with trees () and may refer to:
Places Canada
*Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan
**Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan
Chile
...
and
Contra Costa counties. The two counties are each responsible for maintaining the portion of the road within their boundaries.
The traffic count in 2008 was estimated at more than 25,000 vehicles per day. Weekend traffic is also heavy in spring and summer, when residents from other parts of California flock to the recreation areas along the
Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta.
History
Originally, Vasco Road was a two-lane, very narrow road that began at
U.S. Highway 50 (now
Interstate 580) and wound over the Diablo Range and through the Kellogg Creek valley. In 1957, Alameda County linked three other streets inside Livermore to extend Vasco to Tesla Road. A ribbon-cutting ceremony opened the new Vasco Road on August 1, 1958.
Booming population growth caused a sharp increase in housing prices throughout the Bay Area. People working in
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo County ...
and the
Tri-Valley
The Tri-Valley area is grouping of three valleys in the East Bay region of California's Bay Area. The three valleys are Amador Valley, San Ramon Valley, and Livermore Valley. The Tri-Valley encompasses the cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasa ...
areas began moving into the relatively undeveloped East County area of Contra Costa County. By the early 1990s, traffic congestion on Vasco Road had become severe and accidents were frequent.
In 1996, concurrently with the construction of
Los Vaqueros Reservoir
The Los Vaqueros Reservoir and watershed is located in the northern Diablo Range, within northeastern Contra Costa County, northern California. It was completed by the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) in to improve the quality of drinking water ...
, a segment of Vasco was relocated and widened to accommodate increased traffic and heavy trucks. The old roadway was submerged by the reservoir. When the road re-opened, it carried about 16,000 vehicles per day. In 2009, Vasco Road was extended northwestward from Walnut Street to Marsh Creek Road, where it joined the third segment of John Marsh Heritage Highway (California State Route 4 Bypass, now part of
California State Route 4
State Route 4 (SR 4) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California, routed from Interstate 80 in the San Francisco Bay Area to State Route 89 in the Sierra Nevada. It roughly parallels the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a popular are ...
). In 2010, a section of the road in Alameda County was relocated and widened, eliminating a steep narrow section with several switchbacks.
Safety issues
As originally constructed, Vasco Road was unprepared to meet the demands of high-volume traffic. Blind curves, narrow lanes, steep hills and inadequate shoulders all contributed to the increasing number of accidents. Some of these issues remained even after the relocation and reconstruction of much of the road. Many of these accidents were fatal, head-on collisions. A 2004 engineering study reported that there had been 254 collisions between June 1996 through August 2003.
["Contra Costa County Vasco Road Safety Recommendations Summary Report" Updated April 14, 2004."]
The engineering firm that performed the safety report considered the feasibility of installing a concrete barrier down the center median. This proposal was rejected because of the high cost, as well as objections by some county agencies about lack of adequate access to emergencies. As an alternative, the engineers recommended that Contra Costa County install "rumble strips" from Walnut Boulevard to the Alameda county line. These are roughened strips of asphalt placed down the center line and the sides of each lane, intended to alert drivers when they stray off the road or into the oncoming traffic lane. This alternative was implemented by the county, along with adding "Do Not Pass" and "Passing Lane Ahead" signs at appropriate places.
In August 2006, former Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
signed SB 3 into law, establishing a "double fine" section on Vasco Road from Walnut Boulevard in Brentwood to Interstate 580 in Livermore. The law doubled the fines for "unlawful passing and overtaking, excessive speed, reckless driving, drunken driving and other serious moving violations" until Jan. 1, 2010. However, road signs declaring the double fine zone were still up as of June 2016.
Contra Costa County began a project in 2010 to install a median barrier along a one-mile stretch of the road. This also required widening the roadway and a bridge, building retaining walls, and extending a passing lane.
Major intersections
Attractions
*
Altamont Pass Wind Farm (not open to the public)
*
Brushy Peak Regional Preserve
Brushy Peak Regional Preserve is a regional park that is part of the East Bay Regional Park District, East Bay Regional Parks (EBRPD) and the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (LARPD) systems. It is located in unincorporated land in Alame ...
, part of both the
East Bay Regional Park District
The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is a special district operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California, within the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area. It maintains and operates a system of regional parks which ...
and the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District (LARPD).
*
John Marsh House. Currently under restoration and not open to the public.
*
Los Vaqueros Reservoir
The Los Vaqueros Reservoir and watershed is located in the northern Diablo Range, within northeastern Contra Costa County, northern California. It was completed by the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) in to improve the quality of drinking water ...
, with vehicular access to both northern and southern ends.
*Vasco Caves, part of
East Bay Regional Park District
The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is a special district operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California, within the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area. It maintains and operates a system of regional parks which ...
. Wildlife and animal refuge part of the park is open for the public. Co-located Native American archeological site with wall paintings is not accessible to the public.
East Bay Regional Parks - Vasco Caves Site
/ref>
See also
*Vasco Caves Regional Preserve
Vasco Caves Regional Preserve is a natural and cultural protected area located on the eastern slope of Mount Diablo, on Vasco Road within eastern Contra Costa County, California. It was created to preserve wildlife habitats, California chaparral ...
— ''on Vasco Road''.
References
{{Reflist
Roads in Alameda County, California
Roads in Contra Costa County, California
Diablo Range
Brentwood, California
Livermore, California
Livermore Valley