Long road ahead for Highway 25 project to move forward

After two deadly accidents back to back this week in the Hollister area, improving Highway 25 in San Benito County is always a topic of conversation.

The plan to build a four-;lane expressway from San Felipe Road to Highway 101 is there but the money is proving to be a steep hill to climb.

Mayor Ignacio Velazquez met today with the Council of Government to see where the project stands. He said CalTrans is in the process of putting together an environmental report but overall, the project is going to cost $300 million.

The other caveat is the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. Velazquez said if the VTA doesn’t fix the Highway 25/101 interchange, San Benito County’s project is dead.

“It’s frustrating to hear that Santa Clara has to spend $1 billion and knowing that if they don’t take care of their part, there’s no point in doing our part,” Velazquez said.

Joshua Merrill, a lifelong Hollister resident, drives to and from Santa Clara for work every day on Highway 25. He said the problem is not the road, it’s the drivers.

“I drive extremely defensive. I’ve got a wife and kids and I have a newborn baby to come home to so I don’t understand how people can make these decisions and not know there’s consequences, not only to themselves but to us,” Merrill said.

Merrill’s daughter is studying to get her learner’s permit.

“We constantly talk about people being crazy and not paying attention, it scares me,” he said referring to conversations with his daughter.

Over the years Highway 25 has seen some physical improvements. The lanes have been widened, center-divides and rumble strips have been put in but people still get into accidents.

“The problem is that they don’t have any regard for the other people around them, you know they think their invincible,” Merrill said talking about other drivers.

Velazquez added he might try to implement a sales-tax measure on a future ballot but even that won’t help cover all of the costs of the project.