BART extension project starts strong

SAN JOSE – Dirt is a huge issue on the Construction Division project to help build the final stop on a 10-mile BART extension in San Jose.

Graniterock is off hauling roughly 18,000 yards of dirt from the 20-acre site to make room for the new BART police station, parking lot, bus transfer center and Station Concourse Plaza.

The station includes a street level concourse and above-ground boarding platform.

Located between Berryessa and Mabury roads, adjacent to the San Jose Flea Market in north San Jose, the Berryessa Station is positioned near where Penitencia and Coyote creeks meet.

Graniterock is one of several contractors working at the Berryessa Campus site, along with Roebbelen, McCarthy Construction, and Skanska-Shimmick-Herzog, JV.

"We've had a lot of challenges out here, and we've also had some great opportunities," said Superintendent Chuck Schlough. "It's a large job, so we're keeping our guys busy and buying a lot of Graniterock materials."

In addition to moving dirt, the Graniterock Construction team completed the foundation of the new roadway for the BART station that runs from Mabury to Berryessa, which was a major milestone for the $26 million project.

The job, bid by estimators Bob Williams and Rob Snyder, includes:

•    12,000 tons of asphalt
•    6,000 yards of concrete
•    2,000-foot-long soundwall
•    6,000 feet of underground utilities 

Graniterock is expected to wrap its portion of the BART extension for VTA by Thanksgiving.

"This has been a great One Company project for Graniterock," Project Manager Dave Olivassaid. "This team has done a fantastic job working together and executing what we need to get done in a timely way."

Special thanks goes to all the Graniterock People who are helping make this project so successful Ryan Tenney, Angela Montes, Darien Shirk, Mark Burrell, Chris Perez, Tom Ketchell, Vic Aguilar, Austin Perkins, Josh Congdon, Elmer Herring and Randy Peterson.

In addition, Jennie Stewart and Bill Zielazowski from Concrete have offered superior customer service throughout the project.