On September 29, the new roundabout at Tilden Way, Fernside Boulevard and Blanding Avenue opened to traffic. Fernside connected straight to Tilden again, and the Versailles and Buena Vista detour that had carried east end traffic since May came to an end, Alameda Post reported. The closure moved across the circle that same day. Blanding Avenue between Broadway and Tilden Way is now shut for the project's Stage 5B, and the City expects that stage to run until early 2027.
That changes the route to Nob Hill Foods, Rhythmix Cultural Works and everything else on that stretch of Blanding. For the rest of the season you get there by a one-way extension of Clement Avenue that crews built this year on an abandoned rail line. When the cones come down, that extension stays.
The Closure Moved Across the Roundabout
The Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Improvement Project has been rebuilding the junction one side at a time. Stage 1 ran from October 20, 2025, through May 2026. Crews built the Clement Avenue extension, added pedestrian improvements north of Tilden Way and pulled out the old railroad tracks, platform and equipment. Stages 2 and 3 took Fernside's approach to Tilden out of service so the roundabout could go in. Alameda Post's May 12 update put the start of that closure at May 18. From May 18 to September 29, Fernside drivers spent about 19 weeks without a direct line to Tilden.
Now it is Blanding's turn. Stage 5 lists the Blanding approach improvements, pedestrian work on the east side of Tilden and Broadway, landscaping, irrigation, the dog park and final paving. From Pearl Street, the way onto Tilden Way is closed, and drivers approaching Fernside can only turn right.
The route the City sends everyone along uses the piece it built first. Its project page describes the whole effort as using "the abandoned railroad right-of-way at Clement Avenue and Tilden Way" to extend the Cross Alameda Trail and improve truck and bus routes.
Getting to Nob Hill and the Rest of Bridgeside by Car
Bridgeside Shopping Center at 2531 Blanding Avenue is open throughout construction. The City's directions are short. From Tilden Way, take Broadway, then the new westbound-only Clement Avenue roadway. The City has posted a Stage 5B circulation map and a separate Blanding detour map for anyone who wants to see the loop before driving it.
Bridgeside's own directory lists a long tenant roster. It includes Nob Hill Foods, Pet Food Express, Starbucks, The UPS Store, Round Table Pizza, BB Bowl, Baskin Robbins, Wingstop, Ohana Hawaiian BBQ, Hashi Gawa, Bacogai and The Cheese Steak Shop. Some of these keep their own pages current. Nob Hill Foods posts its hours and services for the 2531 Blanding store. Club Pilates at 2651 Blanding has classes on its booking calendar this week. Bacogai lists the same 2651 Blanding address, along with its hours and an online order link. Hand & Stone posts daily hours and booking for its Blanding Avenue location.
The center says guest parking is free and that noncustomer and overnight parking may be towed. On the street it's a different story. Parking and driveway access inside the work area are affected, and the City posts "No Parking" signs 72 hours before any work.
On Foot and by Bike, Use the East Side of Tilden
For people walking or biking, the rule of thumb is simple: stay on the east side of Tilden Way. The temporary asphalt bike trail on the west side, used all summer, is closed because that ground is now part of Stage 5B construction.
| Getting around | What's open through Stage 5B |
|---|---|
| Walking along Tilden | New east-side sidewalks and paths between Broadway and the Miller-Sweeney Bridge |
| Crossing between Blanding and Fernside | Closed until Stage 5B is finished |
| Walking to Bridgeside from the bridge | The bridge's western walkway is open and reaches the shopping center, but not points farther south |
| Biking toward the Fruitvale Bridge | Share the road with traffic, or take the east-side shared-use path and walk your bike on the bridge's eastern sidewalk |
| Biking to Bridgeside | Reach the bridge's western sidewalk through the shopping center |
The City also has a Stage 5B pedestrian route map. Walking your bike over the bridge's east sidewalk may stick around longer than this construction stage. The City's Cross Alameda Trail page says Alameda County Public Works is only considering bike lanes on the Miller-Sweeney Bridge for 2027 to 2028.
Rhythmix Has a Full Holiday Calendar on the Closed Block
Rhythmix Cultural Works is at 2513 Blanding Avenue, on the stretch that is now closed. Its holiday season starts next week, so plan your arrival using the same Broadway and Clement route. The dates on the Rhythmix events calendar:
- Friday, November 6, 6 to 8 p.m.: The opening reception for the Mini Masterpieces Holiday Gifts Show, presented by Art Jam. Art Jam is a group of local artists who meet weekly at Rhythmix. The show is free, and RSVPs are requested.
- Sunday, November 15, 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.: The Amazing Bubble Man.
- Saturday, November 21, 4:30 to 7 p.m.: A family-friendly Diwali celebration with Non Stop Bhangra, including dance, performances, henna, food and family activities.
- Friday, December 4, 6 to 8 p.m.: A second Mini Masterpieces reception, also free with RSVP.
- Saturday, December 12, 7:30 p.m.: An Evening with Gamelan Sekar Jaya.
Rhythmix calls Mini Masterpieces "equal parts fine art exhibit and most unique holiday shopping experience in Alameda." With two receptions a month apart, it's a handy pairing with a Nob Hill stop a few doors down, as long as you come in from Broadway.
Fernside Itself Is Getting the Layout From East of High
The roundabout reopened Fernside to Tilden, and Fernside is changing too. Pavement Management Project Phase 44 is slurry-sealing Fernside Boulevard from Versailles Avenue to High Street. The City's project page, updated October 26, lists one more estimated work window on November 12 and 13 and notes that dates can change. The City's October 13 bulletin says the work can require half-street closures that keep two-way traffic, that access to Fernside from side streets may be restricted, and that the Tilden Way roundabout stays open.
Once the new surface is down, this stretch gets restriped to match Fernside east of High Street. That means two travel lanes, painted buffered bike lanes, no center turn lane, and quick-build pedestrian median islands to shorten crossings. The City Council approved the concept in March 2025, and the median islands were added at the public's request. New flashing beacons are planned for the western crossing at Versailles, the western crossing at Harvard and both crossings at Cornell. The bulletin says the beacons may not be built until 2027.
South of High Street, the Gibbons Drive area has its own quick-build list, which the City Council approved in November 2025. It includes a paint-and-post bulb-out at the southwest corner of Gibbons, High and Fernside, scheduled for 2026 and early 2027, with no turn restriction. Four speed humps on Gibbons, Southwood and Cambridge drives are planned for early 2027. Pilot roundabouts at Gibbons/Northwood/Southwood and Southwood/Bayo Vista/Fairview are set for design and construction in 2027.
What the Railroad Land Becomes by Early 2027
The Blanding closure is temporary. What gets built on the old rail land is meant to stay, and it fills a gap the east end has been waiting on for years:
- The trail gap closes. The City reports the four-mile Cross Alameda Trail is 3.7 miles complete, or 91 percent. The last 0.2 miles, from Broadway to the Miller-Sweeney Bridge, is under construction, with completion expected in early 2027. The trail is already getting recognition. County Supervisor Lena Tam's September newsletter reported that Bike East Bay named it the East Bay's Best Bike Project of 2026.
- The east end gets a dog park. In September 2022, the Recreation and Parks Commission directed staff to look at this site for an East End dog park. In February 2023, it endorsed an open-space concept that includes one. The planning concept at the time described a dog park of about 17,000 square feet. Finishing the dog park and landscaping is on the current Stage 5 work list.
- Broadway and Tilden get the last safety work. In July 2024, BART awarded the City a $2.1 million grant for bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements at Tilden Way and Broadway. That sits on top of a $10 million award from the Alameda County Transportation Commission in 2017, local match included, to close the trail and truck-route gap.
- Blanding reopens. When Stage 5B ends, the Blanding approach to the roundabout comes back, and so do the crossings between Blanding and Fernside.
Until then, the City's project page says closure lengths can change, so check it before you plan around a specific week.
Changes like a new roundabout, a re-striped boulevard and a finished trail link alter how a block works day to day. That's local knowledge the team at E3 Realty follows closely. If you're wondering how changes like these play into your own plans on Alameda's east end, reach out, and we'll walk through it with you. Start Your Home Journey.
