The dreaded “Mathilda Monster” is about to get a little less scary, after the VTA Board of directors awarded a $26 million contract to get the project underway.

Improvements in this area are a priority for Sunnyvale to help clear traffic congestion on Mathilda Avenue from Almanor Avenue to Innovation Way. Enhancements include reconfigured on- and off-ramps at State Route 237 and US 101, improved bike lanes, and new and modified traffic signals to improve traffic flow and enhance safety for all travelers.

In August 2018, VTA and The City of Sunnyvale were awarded a $17 million grantunder Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) - fuel taxes and vehicle fees that will generate new funding for roadways. Later that same month, the City increased its financial contribution to the project and advanced $17 million in matching funds required to secure the state grant. The additional funds allowed the project to move forward as Measure B funds are still tied up in a lawsuit. Construction on the Mathilda Project is expected to begin in early 2019 and be completed in late summer 2020.
Continuing to help traffic flow more smoothly in that same general area will be the next phase of express lanes US 101 from SR 237 in Sunnyvale to the San Mateo/Santa Clara County line in Palo Alto. A contract was awarded for work to begin early next year. It also includes a short segment of SR 85 because of the freeway-to-freeway connectors.

The Silicon Valley Express Lanes Program, which is authorized for the SR 237, SR 85 and US 101 corridors, is part of a planned 550-mile network of express lanes throughout the Bay Area. Construction is currently ongoing for Phase 2 of the program, which will extend the existing SR 237 express lanes to Mathilda Avenue in Sunnyvale, and is scheduled to open for service in summer 2019.