Highways & Major Corridors
The purpose of the Highways & Major Corridors program is to reduce congestion and improve safety on Caltrans-owned state highways and other major local roadways in San Mateo County. Major highway corridors include US 101, State Route 1, and El Camino Real (SR-84), while major local corridors include roadways such as San Bruno Avenue in San Bruno, Fashion Island/19th Avenue in San Mateo, or Jefferson Avenue in Redwood City, among others.
As defined by the 2004 Transportation Expenditure Plan, Measure A provides the Highway category with a 27.5 percent share of the sales tax revenue collected. The Measure A funds are split between Key Congested Areas that are previously identified Caltrans-owned highways and Supplemental Roadways which can include other off-highway system major corridor improvements. Similarly, as defined by the 2018 Congestion Relief Plan, Measure W provides the Highway category with a 22.5 percent share of the sales tax revenue collected for state-owned highways. However, four percent of the Measure W Highway program funds are set aside for Transportation Demand Management strategies that reduce countywide congestion (this equates to approximately one percent of all Measure W sales tax revenue). The SMCTA Strategic Plan 2025-2029 projected that Measure A and Measure W will generate approximately $61 million per year in available funding for this program.
Success for the Highways & Major Corridors Program means reduced congestion and improved safety on highways and major corridors throughout San Mateo County. The program achieves this by funding projects through the Highway Call for Projects that are included in the 2021-2030 Capital Improvement Program (or subsequent updates), the Measure A Transportation Expenditure Plan, or the Measure W Congestion Relief Plan.
Short Range Highway Plan and Capital Improvement Program
The 2021-2030 Short Range Highway Plan (SRHP) and companion Capital Improvement Program (CIP) were prepared to support future investment decisions for the Measure A Highways and Measure W Countywide Highway Congestion categories. The SRHP is the policy foundation for making highway program investment decisions over the next ten years and uses the adopted Strategic Plan 2020-2024 evaluation criteria to benchmark how projects align with funding priorities for Measures A and W. The CIP identifies eligible Highway program projects and assesses the projected costs versus sales tax revenue over a 10-year period.
What are ways to reduce highway and local congestion?
- Improving interchanges
- Traffic signal optimization
- Intelligent Transportation Systems
- Managed lanes and tolling
- Improved arterial and transit infrastructure
- Improved pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure
City of Half Moon Bay Highway 1 Main Street to Kehoe Avenue Improvements (Construction Planned in 2026)
The project is located on Highway 1 between Spindrift Way at the northerly limit and North Main Street at the southerly limit. The project will construct a new traffic signal at the intersection of Highway 1 and Terrace Avenue, extend Frontage Road to Terrace Avenue on the northwest side of the intersection and extend Frontage Road from Grand Boulevard to Terrace Avenue on the southwest side of the intersection. Extend new Class 1 multi-use path from N. Main Street to Spindrift Way.
City of East Palo Alto US101/ University Avenue Pedestrian Overcrossing and Interchange Improvements (Constructed)
The US 101 / University Avenue Interchange Improvement is predominately the construction of a pedestrian overcrossing of US 101, north of the existing University Avenue Overcrossing. The project includes constructing a Class I bikeway connecting the pedestrian overcrossing to Woodland Avenue to the west, and Donohoe Street to the east; widening the US 101 southbound off-ramp to University Avenue; reconstructing the northbound off-ramp to University Avenue; reconstructing a portion of the University Avenue between US 101 and Woodland Avenue; modifying existing traffic signals; installing new street lights; improving the University Avenue intersections at Donohoe Street and Woodland Avenue; and installing landscaping and irrigation.
City of Redwood City SR84 - US101 Interchange Reimagined (Construction Planned for 2027)
Caltrans and the City of Redwood City, in cooperation with SMCTA and the City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG) of San Mateo County, are leading the effort to reconstruct the U.S. Highway 101 and State Route 84/Woodside Road Interchange and Port Access Project. The project includes improvements to ramps, travel lanes, and intersections to enhance safety and operational effectiveness, leading to fewer collisions and serious injuries. Additionally, the Project takes a Complete Streets approach by constructing over 4.2 miles of new bike and pedestrian facilities where none currently exist.
Corridor Connect Program
The SMCTA Board of Directors has identified support for planning and funding major corridor initiatives known as the SMCTA Corridor Connect Program which includes support for US 101, El Camino Real, and Highway 1. Each Corridor Connect initiative looks to further multimodal safety and congestion relief strategies based on projects identified by local agencies and prioritized through extensive community-focused engagement. To learn more about each Corridor Connect initiative, check out the links below.
101 Corridor Connect (US 101) - https://www.smcta.com/101CC
Grand Boulevard Initiative (El Camino Real) - https://www.samtrans.com/projects/gbi
Highway 1 Coastal Connect (State Route 1) - Coming Summer/Fall 2026
Funded Projects
This section will be updated as program funding is awarded. Please visit this page for more information on the Highways and Major Corridors program Call for Projects process.
2012 Highway Call for Projects Awards & Descriptions
2015 Highway Call for Projects Awards & Descriptions
2017 Highway Call for Projects Awards & Descriptions
2021 Highway Call for Projects Awards & Descriptions
2023 Highway Call for Projects Awards & Descriptions
2025 Highway Call for Projects Awards & Descriptions
US 101 Managed Lanes Projects
The management and operation of the Express Lanes is governed by the San Mateo County Express Lanes Joint Powers Authority (SMCEL JPA), a six member joint powers authority consisting of three San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) Board members and three City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG) Board members.
To learn more about US 101 Express Lanes, visit the project page here: https://www.smcta.com/101expresslanes