Project Status
Phase 1 of the I-280 Project will begin at the Page Mill Road — I-280 interchange and move southbound to St Joseph Ave undercrossing, finishing approximately October 30, 2026.
Phase 2 of the I-280 Project will begin at St Joseph Avenue undercrossing and move northbound to Page Mill Road — I-280 interchange, beginning on November 2, 2026.
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October 21, 2026 Update: Vegetation Management
Crews will access southbound I-280 from Eastbrook Avenue, as well as a lane closure on southbound I-280 between the Magdalena Avenue interchange and the Mora Drive overcrossing.
October 26 – 29, 2026: Vegetation Management
Crews will continue vegetation management along segments of southbound I-280, beginning ¾ mile north of the El Monte Road interchange and extending southward to the St. Joseph Avenue undercrossing.
Please note: the previous Traffic Advisory for October 26 – 30 announced vegetation management work along northbound I-280, between the St. Joseph Avenue undercrossing and the Magdalena Avenue interchange.
October 30, 2026: Vegetation Management
Crews will begin vegetation management work along northbound I-280, between the St. Joseph Avenue undercrossing and the Magdalena Avenue interchange. Crews may also access work areas from St. Joseph Avenue in the City of Los Altos.
Week of November 2 – 6, 2026: Vegetation Management
Crews will continue vegetation management work along northbound I-280, between the St. Joseph Avenue undercrossing and the Magdalena Avenue interchange, on both sides of the soundwall.
Read the Latest Traffic Advisory
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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.
