As the price tag balloons for a long-awaited BART extension to downtown San Jose, transportation officials may consider a drastic change of plans.
Valley Transportation Authority is looking at “adaptive” options for the six mile stretch of track from Berryessa through the city center, hitting a major transit hub at Diridon Station before it ends in Santa Clara. Costs for the project have risen “significantly” above the $12.7 billion previously estimated to burrow beneath the street, said Tom Maguire, the authority’s chief megaprojects delivery officer.
He attributed the financial strain to tariffs and the war in Iran, which have jolted prices for diesel and core construction materials such as steel and concrete. Labor expenses are also rising and adding strain for monumental infrastructure projects like this one. VTA has not yet released a new cost estimate for the BART extension…