VTA's latest construction notice for the Eastridge to BART Regional Connector says the bridge "will be near completion" by the holidays. At the Story Road intersection, crews have already removed the falsework supports from under the elevated structure. VTA's mid-October update said this was "unveiling the completed structure."
The same notice runs through December. It schedules weekday crews, weekend crews and overnight work as needed along Capitol Expressway from Capitol Avenue to Quimby Road. The work still on that schedule includes rail, overhead wiring and Eastridge Station, which sits beside the mall, the Safeway center at 2980 E. Capitol Expressway and the storefronts on Quimby Road.
What "Near Completion" Leaves at the Eastridge End
The project is a 2.4-mile aerial extension of light rail from Alum Rock Station to the Eastridge Transit Center. Most of the guideway runs elevated down the center of Capitol Expressway. It has an elevated station at Story Road and a ground-level station at the transit center.
VTA's October–December construction notice lists four remaining focus areas:
- The north end of the alignment at Capitol & Capitol, where falsework is still coming down near Capitol Avenue.
- The Story Road Station and intersection, including the station's pedestrian overcrossing.
- Eastridge Station.
- Laying rail tracks and installing the overhead catenary system, the wires that will power the trains.
The Eastridge item was already underway in mid-October. VTA's weekly update for October 12 through 16 had crews at "Capitol Expressway at the Eastridge Transit Center/Eastridge Mall." They were building a traction power substation designated TPSS 34 and continuing work on the signal, communication and electrical buildings at the platform and transit center. The same update said more night work would come toward the end of October.
The overnight work is set to taper off. VTA says that once the bridge is complete and the Story Station pedestrian overcrossing is installed, it anticipates "a reduction in overnight activities." The daytime schedule stays in place through the end of the year.
The Hours That Overlap a Shopping Trip
This is the schedule VTA published for the final quarter of 2026:
| Work window | Hours |
|---|---|
| General work, Monday through Friday | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Weekend work | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Overnight work, as needed | 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. |
| Intermittent, temporary lane closures throughout the project area | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with some activities running past six hours |
The weekend row matters most for anyone heading to Eastridge Center on a Saturday in December. Crews can work the same 9-to-6 stretch the parking lots are busiest. The notice also sets a 35 mph speed limit throughout the project zone and warns of intermittent overnight closures of lanes, roads and intersections.
People who walk or ride transit are affected too. VTA lists intermittent and long-term sidewalk closures and detours, bus stops that may be relocated or closed as needed, and bus bridges that may replace light rail service. VTA Customer Service at (408) 321-2300 handles trip planning around these changes. VTA also warns that schedules can shift with weather and site conditions, and it publishes a weekly construction update on the project page.
Where the Work Zone Ends, the Errands Begin
Quimby Road marks the southern limit of the construction notice. That puts the Evergreen end of the corridor at the edge of the work, with the Eastridge Station site close by.
VTA keeps a directory of corridor businesses under a campaign called Shop Capitol, with the message that "your favorite neighborhood businesses remain open and ready to serve you." Near the Eastridge end, the directory lists these businesses:
- 2217 Quimby Road: Fresco Supermarket, Elmas Taqueria and Churros El Guerro
- Elsewhere on Quimby Road: Evergreen Pharmacy at 2365, Deal Furniture & Mattress at 2298, Smash Gym at 2268, San Jose Furniture City at 2220, Bank of America at 2225 and Citi Bank at 2189
- 2980 and 2990 E. Capitol Expressway: Safeway, Starbucks, Chipotle, Jamba Juice, Panda Express and the AT&T Store, plus In & Out Burger at 2950
- Eastridge Loop: Chili's Grill and Bar at 2185, and Eastridge Mall itself at 2200
The newest name at the mall is not on that list. The Mercury News reported in August that the halal burger restaurant iniBurger planned to open at Eastridge in late August, with a grand opening planned for mid-September. Its San Jose location page lists it at 2200 Eastridge Loop, Suite FC 2, open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The mall's December calendar already has one family event. On December 12, Eastridge hosts a BookSmart reading, Q&A and book signing with children's author Cheryl Rodrigues. That date is a Saturday, which falls inside the weekend work window.
The Merchants Are Watching a Different Deadline
The bridge finishing matters to the businesses under it because of what the last two years have cost them. In November 2025, San José Spotlight reported that owners along the corridor blamed intermittent lane closures, redirected traffic and blocked driveways for driving customers away. Councilmember Peter Ortiz, who represents much of the corridor under construction, pushed VTA to compensate them. In that same story, VTA's Kenneth Ronsse described the agency's position:
"We also recognize that construction is inconvenient and we take very seriously our work minimizing this inconvenience."
Ronsse told the outlet that VTA had launched the Shop Capitol campaign to encourage residents to visit local businesses. On March 5, 2026, VTA announced a Business Microgrant Program to reimburse businesses for losses attributed to the construction.
The program's own clock is set by the construction. VTA's program page sets these tiers:
- Tier 1A, $5,000: for businesses within 100 feet of heavy construction. VTA defines heavy construction as roadway widening, pile driving, and installing or removing falsework. Traffic or noise alone does not count.
- Tier 1B, $3,500 one-time: for businesses outside 100 feet but within 1,200 feet of that work.
- Tier 2, up to $50,000: for Tier 1A businesses that document their losses through tax or sales tax filings and that operated continuously through the construction between September 2024 and September 2026.
Every tier requires fewer than 35 employees, annual revenue of no more than $2.5 million, at least 12 months in operation before heavy construction began in September 2024, and an active City of San Jose business license. Applications are due by March 31, 2027. This is a summary of VTA's published program and general information only, not legal, tax or financial advice. A business owner weighing an application should confirm eligibility with VTA and their own tax professional.
Falsework removal is one of the activities that counts as heavy construction, and it is part of the work on this quarter's schedule near Capitol Avenue. As the bridge closes out, the stretch of heavy work the grants were written around is also coming to an end, while the application window stays open into spring.
What the Work at the Mall Is Building Toward
VTA expects the extension to be finished in 2028. Once it opens, riders will board light rail at Eastridge Station and connect directly with BART at the Milpitas Station. This is the last phase of a longer effort on the expressway. VTA added sidewalks, street lighting and a landscaping buffer between Quimby Road and Capitol Avenue in 2012, then rebuilt the Eastridge Transit Center with new shelters and amenities in 2015.
The substation and the signal, communication and electrical buildings going up at the Eastridge platform this fall are part of the station where that BART-bound trip will begin. Questions about a specific closure near the transit center go to VTA's Community Outreach team at (408) 321-7575 or [email protected].
A construction calendar like this one can also affect when a listing goes live, when buyers drive the expressway to see a home, and how a commute to Milpitas will look in a few years. If you're weighing a move on either side of Capitol Expressway and want a local read on how the Eastridge work fits your timeline, The Samit Shah Team can walk you through it. Work With Us.
