VTA wins city approval for nearly round‑the‑clock West Portal work to keep BART Phase 2 on schedule

The Santa Clara City Council on Oct. 7 unanimously approved a revision to the West Portal construction traffic management plan for VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase 2 project, allowing contractors to work up to 24 hours a day on critical early‑works activities and to use Sundays for limited maintenance tasks.

VTA Chief Mega Projects Officer Tom McGuire told the council the West Portal early‑works package is the project’s first major construction effort; he called BART Silicon Valley Phase 2 “the largest public works project in the history of Santa Clara County,” and said keeping the launch shaft and associated work on schedule is critical to later tunneling contracts.

The change replaces a previously approved 22‑hour permitting window (6 a.m.–4 a.m., Monday–Saturday) for key concrete and slurry‑wall operations with a fully 24‑hour, six‑day schedule and limited Sunday activity for maintenance (no Sunday truck hauling unless separately approved). VTA said the additional hours let contractors complete…