BART construction crews will work through the holiday weekend to complete a $38 million improvement project that will disrupt train service between Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill, according to a BART press release.
By Tuesday morning, when the work to install “crossover tracks” is expected to be completed, BART expects to provide better on-time service between the two stations.
In the meantime, between 7 p.m. Friday and 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, BART said it will provide a free bus bridge, and recommends passengers allow up to 20 additional minutes of travel time for the bus detour.
The last train that will travel to the end of the Pittsburg/Bay Point line will depart Embarcadero Station at 6:27 p.m. Friday.
Otherwise, BART recommends passengers use the Walnut Creek, Lafayette or Orinda stations to avoid delays.
BART officials said they recognize the delays will inconvenience passengers during the holiday weekend, “but we remind our customers that this is a bit of pain for long-term gain,” BART Board President James Fang said in a prepared statement.
Currently, during the morning commute empty trains coming from San Francisco have to overshoot the Pleasant Hill Station by many miles before reaching a turnaround point. The new tracks will allow trains to turn around sooner and easily maneuver around a disabled train.
“It will save us so much time it’s like adding an extra train with empty seats to the schedule,” BART Board Member Gail Murray said in the statement.
