VTA Reaches 70% Completion on BSVII Tunnel Launch Structure at Newhall Yard as Berryessa RISE Affordable Housing Breaks Ground

VTA Surpasses 70% Milestone on West Portal Tunnel Launch Structure

SAN JOSE, California — Marking major engineering progress on the largest public infrastructure undertaking in Santa Clara County history, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) confirmed in October 2026 that perimeter slurry walls for the BART Silicon Valley Phase II (BSVII) tunnel launch structure at the West Portal/Newhall Yard & Maintenance Facility have surpassed 70 percent completion. The monumental staging structure will launch the massive single-bore tunnel boring machine tasked with excavating 5 miles of subway underneath downtown San Jose and Santa Clara.

Crews finalized primary electrical duct banks and utility relocations across the 30-acre Newhall Yard site, preparing for deep structural excavation to commence early next year. VTA leadership presented the technical progress during an executive response to recent Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury oversight reports, demonstrating rigorous risk management, cost control benchmarks, and schedule adherence on the $12.7 billion extension.

Berryessa Urban Village Advances 195-Unit RISE Affordable Community

Directly linked to rapid transit expansion, civil homebuilders accelerated active structural framing on RISE, a 10-story, 195-unit, 100 percent affordable transit-oriented residential community located adjacent to the Berryessa/North San Jose Transit Center. The milestone advances San Jose's Berryessa BART Urban Village Plan, which dedicates public acreage surrounding the northern terminus to dense, walkable residential towers and neighborhood-serving retail.

In South San Jose, state and municipal housing partners advanced preparations for the Capitol Station TOD project, which secured competitive Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) awards to construct 201 affordable workforce rental homes within steps of high-frequency light rail boarding platforms.

Transit-Oriented Communities Playbooks Guide Downtown Station Infill

To ensure maximum community integration along future subway stops, VTA planning teams collaborated with San Jose and Santa Clara officials to finalize Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) Playbooks for the upcoming 28th Street/Little Portugal, Downtown San Jose, and Diridon stations. Furthermore, VTA's planned administrative relocation to Almaden Crossing unlocks 200,000 square feet of surplus land in North San Jose, designated for over 1,000 future transit-connected homes.

Transportation officials and housing advocates commended the dual focus on subterranean engineering and aggressive housing construction, emphasizing that San Jose is constructing world-class transit alongside the attainable homes necessary to support Silicon Valley's workforce.