Local officials have been eager to turn the Highway 4 Bypass/Sand Creek Road intersection into a freeway-style interchange. Now they can afford it.

Brentwood City Engineer Bailey Grewal recently announced that the project is fully funded and ready to begin. The California Transportation Commission (CTC) awarded the Sand Creek Road project the $8 million necessary to start awarding a construction bid. Earlier this year, the CTC put $25 million toward the project, which is slated to cost roughly $33 million.

“This is a remarkable achievement and just fantastic end-of-year good news,” Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor said. “I’m very, very excited. I never dreamed we’d get that money.”

Grewal wrote in an e-mail that the project will be put out to bid in February. If all goes according to plan, workers could break ground by June. Local officials feel that removing the traffic lights and turning the Sand Creek Road intersection into an interchange, like the exits at Laurel Road and Lone Tree Way, will clear up a major bottleneck along the bypass.

Transportation officials are also working on a project to turn the Bypass into the official Highway 4, removing that designation from the thoroughfare that runs through Oakley and Brentwood. Grewal noted that the transfer process is on Caltrans’ agenda in January. Should Caltrans approve the transfer, the Bypass will officially become Highway 4 by the end of January.

The new designation will make it easier for Brentwood to perform maintenance work on Brentwood Boulevard, as such decisions wouldn’t require Caltrans approval. Grewal said Caltrans should approve this item, as all East County cities connected to Highway 4 are in favor of the move.