The tunnel, which runs longer than 15 football fields, took three years to complete. Once in operation, it will take trains travelling an average speed of just under 70mph about 50 seconds to travel the new subway and come out the other side, BART stated.
This milestone helps pave the way toward a grand opening of the new Warm Springs/South Fremont station in late 2015. The Warm Springs Extension will add 5.4 miles of new tracks from the existing Fremont Station south to a new station in the Warm Springs District of the City of Fremont. The extension project, which is currently on-time and on-budget, is the first step toward connecting BART passengers to Silicon Valley.
"The tunnel is truly awe inspiring and it was a privilege to show it off to the community and provide an up-close look at how their tax dollars are being spent," said BART director Tom Blalock.
Blalock added: "This has been a journey of collaboration and willingness to seek creative ways to bridge our differences. From hand carrying fish and turtles into a safe place while the lake was drained, to building a new dog park and basketball court for the community, this project has truly been a community partnership."
