Last week, Fremont’s City Council approved a joint road project with Union City even though dozens of residents thought it was a terrible idea. On Tuesday Union City, which has been pushing for the new road from Mission Boulevard to Paseo Padre, also approved it.

Not only was there no opposition. But the council took a break and drank apple cider to celebrate.

Most city leaders don’t really want it, people who live near Quarry Lakes definitely don’t want it, but the City Council voted unanimously last night to approve the environmental documents for a project that would include a major new road linking Mission Boulevard and Paseo Padre Parkway.

Union City really does want the project, which would improve freeway access to the thousands of new new residents who would come to town if their planned high-rise residential towers are built.

Fremont has never been a fan of the project, which originally was to include a major road from Mission all the way to I-880. Now it’s just the new road between Mission and Paseo Padre along with widening portions of Decoto and Paseo Padre.

But a few years ago Fremont cut a deal with Union City and county transportation officials. Fremont would back this project and in return it would get money for the Mission Boulevard/I-880 interchange project.

A deal’s a deal.

Don’t tell that to the dozens of people last night who urged the council to reject the plan. However, the plan or some form of it has been in the works for decades so most, if not all, of them knew that it was a possibility when they bought their homes.

Anyway, at last check the $211 million project was at least $43 million short of funds, so the deal might not get done for quite a few years.

Frankly, I think Fremont residents have commented enough on this one, but they have yet another chance during the next 60 days. The Draft Environmental Impact Report has been released for the road project that advocates say will ease traffic along Fremont’s northern border with Union City.

Union City loves the plan, which includes a new road from Mission Boulevard to Paseo Padre Parkway. Fremont has been less enthusiastic, and some North Fremont residents have been absolutely hostile.

They’ll be happy to know that the planned $211 million project is still short of cash. Project planners have a plan to cut a $100 million deficit to about $43 million, assuming Union City and Fremont want to donate their land rights (they had planned to sell them to Caltrans) and Caltrans agrees to sell lots of land in North Fremont to developers.

As for the remaining $43 million, well there’s always that economic stimulous package, transportation officials said. They’re hoping to get it by late 2011 when the projet could begin.

Governor Schwarzenegger has signed into law a bill that should provide money for the cash strapped East-West Connector project, which used to be known as Rt. 84.

SB 791allows proceeds from the sale of Caltrans land to be used for the project, which includes a new road from Mission Boulevard to Paseo Padre Parkway and the widening of sections of Paseo Padre and Decoto Road. It’s designed to improve traffic flow from I-880 to the new smart growth development Union City is building near its BART Station.

The new law was needed because the new road will not be a state highway as was originally proposed.

For a story I did on the bill, click here. Ellen Corbett sponsored the bill.

It took Fremont and Union City more than a decade to agree on building Route 84. Now it looks like it could take just as long to build it.

Cost estimates for the road, which would span from Mission Boulevard in Union City to Paseo Padre Boulevard in Fremont, have increased from $136 million in 2004 to $211 million.

That means the project now has a big, fat deficit. And to plug it, the Alameda County Transportation Authority needs about $43 million either from the state or from the cities.

Fremont mayor Bob Wasserman said Fremont’s not chipping in. “What I would say is if that’s going to be the contribution then you’re going to be waiting a lot longer than 2013 to finish that project,” the mayor told county planners. “We don’t have that type of money.”

As Wasserman alluded, the project is scheduled to be completed in 2013. But, if there’s not enough money the project could be built in phases or delayed altogether.

The road, which will help motorists travel from I-880 to Union City’s proposed high-rise housing development, has always been a sore spot between the two cities. Union City wanted a new road going all the way to the freeway, but Fremont objected.