The street once called
“the road to nowhere” now definitely goes somewhere.
The street once called “the road to nowhere” now definitely goes somewhere.
So said Mayor Dennis Kennedy Wednesday morning when he prepared to open the fourth section of Butterfield Boulevard. The first new major arterial built since anyone at City Hall can remember, Butterfield now extends from Cochrane Road south to Tennant Avenue.
“This will be the busiest street in town,” Kennedy said. “We promised this road when the RDA was extended (in 1999) and now the vision has become a reality.”
The street that takes its name from a famous stagecoach route now will carry the hybrids, SUV’s and trucks of Morgan Hill drivers.
When the first section, from East Dunne to East Main, was completed in 1992, the four-lane divided street was indeed limited in scope, but that changed with each new addition. Dunne south to San Pedro was finished in 1997 and Main north to Digital Drive and Cochrane Road in 1999.
On Wednesday, four members of the City Council, with help from the Chamber of Commerce and City Manager Ed Tewes, cut a wide blue ribbon and proclaimed the road well and truly open. Then Kennedy climbed aboard a 1921 Model T Speedster – a racing car owned and clearly loved by Bill Speegle – and took off to tour the new road down to Tennant and back.
Councilman Larry Carr, riding in Bob Adam’s 1936 black DeSoto Air Flow, and Council members Hedy Chang and Steve Tate, riding in Chad Hunt’s 1933 butterscotch-colored Chrysler Royal 8, chased the mayor down and back. All three car owners are members of the local chapter of Antique Automobile Club of America.
The antique car parade was followed by two enthusiastic bicyclists christening the road’s dedicated bike lane.
Shortly after the cars took off for their trek down to Tennant Avenue, Jeanette Millward appeared pushing a double jogging stroller carrying Julia, 1, and Benjamin, 6. She said she was happy to be christening the new route for two reasons.
“We used to go down Church,” she said, “but there are no sidewalks and with speeding cars it’s just not safe. Now, we can talk our walks down Butterfield.”
Each of the four construction phases came in under budget at $12.99 million for the city’s part. The extension through the Morgan Hill Ranch was partially paid for by developers of the business park.
Project Manager and Senior Engineer Julie Behzad said phase four was the most complex of all since the city had to work with 14 property owners to secure right-of-way and move or demolish homes. In all, the 2.44-mile road swallowed up parts of 25 properties.
Sutter Avenue was the road’s original name but that was changed when it became clear the business park section would not connect with the existing Sutter Avenue – the street between Marie Callender’s restaurant and Target in Cochrane Plaza.
Butterfield was chosen instead. Butterfield was one early name for the township that became “Morganhill” and then “Morgan Hill in 1906. The famed St. Louis to San Francisco Butterfield Overland Express Stage route went through town, straight up Monterey, then called El Camino Real. The 17-Mile House, now a park at the southwest corner of West Edmundson and Monterey Road was a Butterfield stage stop while the express operated in the early 1860s, delivering mail and newspapers to news-starved Californians.
This Butterfield Boulevard extension was constructed by the Pavex Construction Division of Graniterock.
“It went very well,” said Shannon Rogers, inspector for the city Public Works Department.
Kennedy gave a special thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Tanimoto and residents who live along the latest construction site.
“They put up with a lot of noise and dust,” he said.
Santa Clara County Fire Department Battalion Chief Brad Darbro said Butterfield might very well improve response times for emergency vehicles.
“We will time the routes and decide when it will be best to use Butterfield,” Darbro said.
The final phase for the road is to connect it with Watsonville Road, which Kennedy said is planned to happen before 2014, though no funds have been earmarked for the project.
More about the Butterfield Overland Stage at www.over-land.com
