Strawberry Gate Upgrade Project

CURRENT STATUS: MARCH 2026

Strawberry Gate will reopen on Monday, March 23, 2026. Gate hours will be from 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday - Friday. Entry will be restricted to lab badge holders only. All other visitors will need to use the Blackberry Gate to enter the lab.
- - Watch the Lunch & Learn video recording from March 12, 2026 discussing the Strawberry Gate Reopening.
Strawberry Gate is currently closed to all vehicle, shuttle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic while remaining project work is completed.
Please use the Blackberry Gate (main entrance) or Grizzly Gate to enter and exit the Lab. See below for more information and directions to these gates from Strawberry Gate.

QUICK LINKS

PROJECT CONTACTS

Quang Tran , Project Manager
qqtran@lbl.gov, mobile: 510-541-1739
Leigh Blanchard, Construction Manager
lkblanchard@lbl.gov, mobile: 510-387-2753

OVERVIEW

Strawberry Gate closed on Monday, November 4, 2024 for demolition to allow for the construction of a new gate structure and reworking of the gate flow. The project is projected to finish in early Spring 2026.

The current gate is insufficient for the Lab’s needs. The guard enclosure is sixty years old, and the gate’s current single incoming lane configuration restricts the number of vehicles that can be processed. Along with replacing the outdated gate enclosure, the new construction will increase the number of incoming traffic lanes and double the ability to process incoming vehicles during commute hours.

The expanded capacity will reduce safety challenges for incoming traffic in both directions of Centennial Drive.

OLD STRAWBERRY GATE

Strawberry Gate future state

NEW STRAWBERRY GATE

EXPECTED IMPACTS

Strawberry Gate Closure

Strawberry Gate is currently closed to all vehicle, shuttle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic for the project's duration.
- - Starting Monday, March 23, 2026 the Strawberry Gate will reopen from 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday - Friday. Entry is restricted to lab badge holders only. Visitors will need to use Blackberry Gate to enter the lab.
  - Pedestrian Access: There is no pedestrian gate at the new Strawberry Gate due to safety concerns along Centennial Drive. Please use the lab shuttles which will restart regular service through the Strawberry Gate after it reopens. Bicyclists will be allowed to enter through the vehicle entrance gates but are strongly advised to use the pedestrian gates at either the Grizzly or Blackberry Gate.
Blackberry Gate (main entrance) is open 24/7, seven days per week for all lab employees and visitors entering and exiting the lab.
- - Blackberry Gate will continue to be open 24/7, 7 days a week, to all lab employees and visitors entering/exiting the lab once Strawberry Gate reopens.
Grizzly Gate is open 5:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Monday-Friday for vehicles entering the lab. Entry is restricted to lab badge holders only. After 12 p.m. all vehicles will need to use Blackberry Gate to enter the lab. Vehicles will be able to exit Grizzly Gate 24/7 but the pedestrian gate will be closed 7:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
- - Starting Monday, March 23, 2026, the Grizzly Gate will be open to vehicles entering the lab from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., Monday - Friday. Entry is restricted to lab badge holders only. After 9:00 a.m. all vehicles will need to use either the Strawberry or Blackberry gates to enter the lab.
  - Pedestrians and bicyclists can continue to enter the Lab using the Grizzly Gate pedestrian gate from 6:00 a.m. until 8 p.m. After 8 p.m., they will need to call the Site Operations Center at 510-486-6999 for entry assistance.
  - Vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists can exit through Grizzly Gate 24/7.

Traffic Route Exiting Grizzly Gate

The route to exit the Grizzly Gate will require all vehicles to travel around the B69 island, come to a complete stop, and make a left turn to exit out of the Grizzly Gate from 5:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Monday-Friday; After 12:00 p.m., vehicles will be able to exit Grizzly Gate without having to travel around the B69 island. More information on this change can be found on Elements.
- - Starting Monday, March 23, 2026, all vehicles exiting Grizzly Gate will need to travel around the B69 island from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Shuttles

The Orange and Rockridge shuttle routes will change for the project's duration. See below for details.
- - Starting Monday, March 23, 2026, the Orange and Rockridge shuttles will return to their normal routes. Follow this link for updated route maps.

Parking

A small number of spaces in the U5 lot will be impacted.
- - Impacted spaces will be released once all the construction materials still remaining are safely removed and work is completed on any remaining last minute updates.

SCHEDULE

The schedule is subject to change without notice.

November 4, 2024: Construction begins
Late Fall 2025: Delivery and Installation of two new gatehouses and canopy
Late February / Early March 2026: Delivery and Installation of final panels needed to complete work
March 23, 2026: Expected gate re-opening

DIRECTIONS TO GRIZZLY GATE

From Strawberry Gate, drive East (uphill) on Centennial Drive, over the Centennial Drive overpass
Turn left onto McMillan Road to the Grizzly Gate

DIRECTIONS TO BLACKBERRY GATE

From Strawberry Gate, drive West (downhill) on Centennial Drive
Turn right onto Stadium Rim Way
Turn right onto Gayley Road
Turn right onto Hearst Avenue
Continue onto Cyclotron Road to the Blackberry Gate

SHUTTLE CHANGES EFFECTIVE MARCH 23, 2026

2026.03.23 SBG Reopening Poster PDF.pdf

Scan the QR code in the PDF above or follow this link for updated route maps starting Monday, March 23, 2026.
Always check Tripshot (lbnl.tripshot.com) for real-time current shuttle impacts.

SHUTTLE CHANGES EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 4, 2024

SHUTTLE CHANGES: ORANGE ROUTE

will enter and exit through Blackberry
will maintain all onsite stops
Centennial Road stops will close during construction

SHUTTLE CHANGES: ROCKRIDGE ROUTE

will enter thru Blackberry Gate
will service the following onsite stops*: B65, B50/70, B46, ALS, B26, B69
will exit through Grizzly Gate and travel down Centennial

*For Rockridge Shuttle riders who travel to the East Canyon:

The Transportation team worked with our shuttle vendor, RydeTrans, to adjust the Orange and Rockridge routes to make it easier to reach the stops that are no longer serviced by the Rockridge shuttle.
Morning inbound Rockridge riders should transfer at the B50/70 stop to the Orange shuttle. The Orange inbound shuttle will depart after Rockridge’s arrival.
Evening outbound riders should take the Orange shuttle to B65 and transfer to the outbound Rockridge shuttle.

Always check Tripshot (lbnl.tripshot.com) for real-time current shuttle impacts.

Strawberry Gate Project Emergency Egress

The Strawberry gate project team, in collaboration with the contractor, has implemented a solution to accommodate emergency egress and protected gate operations (see image below). The construction project fence will have vehicle gates installed, which will be secured with LBNL security locks that can be opened during emergency egress situations. Protective actions will be issued by LBNL Emergency Response Leadership.

The use of Strawberry Gate for egress will be dictated on an as-needed basis to execute issued protective actions based on the protective action (e.g. evacuate, shelter in place, or lock down), hazard, or location.

The LBNL security team will execute emergency egress procedures. All security personnel are trained and able to execute the procedure to support emergency egress. The security team will respond immediately to support emergency egress operations.

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