Project Overview
Interstate 280 is a vital arterial roadway connecting San Francisco to the South Bay and Silicon Valley including the cities of Palo Alto, Cupertino and Los Altos. Creating continuous shaded fuel break treatment connecting to the existing network of regional shaded fuels breaks and evacuation routes is an urgent need along the I-280 corridor within the heart of California’s tech industry.
The project takes place along a section of I-280 in Santa Clara County, CA beginning at Caltrans milepost 12.9, at Permanente Creek and ending at milepost 18.8, north of Page Mill Road. To the north of Page Mill Road, the project abuts Stanford University and City of Palo Alto managed lands. At the southern end, the project borders Santa Clara County Parks and the City of Cupertino. Multiple neighborhood streets are parallel to or intersect with I-280, with multiple street underpasses and one overpass.
The project seeks to complete hazardous fuel reduction along both sides of the freeway and the center divide. This represents approximately 152 treatment acres consisting of Caltrans, County Roads and Airports, and Town of Los Altos Hills easements/right of way for a total length of 24 miles when counting northbound, southbound, and both directions of the center divide.
Mitigation of wildfire threat to life and property will be accomplished by removing hazard trees, reducing ladder fuels, dead, dying, and diseased fuels, brush, and exposed trash in the treatment area, and it will help protect life and property adjacent to the highway, as well as the surrounding communities. It will create a healthier and more vigorous ecosystem of the riparian and other natural habitat areas which are adjacent to I-280.
I-280, as pictured north of El Monte Road. Image shows heavy hazardous fuels immediately adjacent to the roadway with nearby structures under threat of wildfire.
