Work Begins On San Jose Bridge Over Dangerous Rail Crossing
SAN JOSE (KCBS) – Following a tragic accident more than five years ago, a new pedestrian bridge is finally starting to take shape in south San Jose.
It was November of 2005 on Monterey Highway near Blossom Hill Road when a babysitter, who had three kids with her, was using the nearby railroad tracks as a shortcut to get to a fast food restaurant.
KCBS' Mike Colgan Reports:
Tragically, the 2-year-old boy got away from her and was hit by a southbound Amtrak train.
Valley Transportation Authority General Manager Michael Burns said he understands concerns on why the project took so long to get started.
"The project took this amount of time because it took a long time to get the funding together from all the different sources," he said. "We had a number of agencies that needed to coordinate on the project."
Then San Jose City Councilman Forrest Williams, who was instrumental in getting the funding rolling for the project, said the area was a disaster waiting to happen because of all the people who used the tracks as a shortcut.
"There's no other way to cross safely. There's no other way," Williams said. "You have to go all the way down to Chynoweth or you come across here."
The $10 million pedestrian bridge is scheduled to be completed early next year.
(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
