OAKLAND (KCBS) - The foundations for the people mover that will connect Oakland International Airport to Bay Area Rapid Transit have been finished, officials announced Friday.

“You can see we’re moving from the foundation phase of the project, creating all the columns and foundations, moving into installation of the superstructure,” said project manager Tom Dunscomb, as he toured the construction that has dominated Hegenberger Road.

BART officials said a project mired in controversy when it was proposed is progressing on time and under budget, with 20 percent of the workers on the project hired locally.

KCBS’ Margie Shafer Reports:

Dunscomb described the 3.2-mile elevated transit system as a modern version of the cable cars that conquered San Francisco’s hills in the 19th century.

“Instead of having drivers that twist and release the cable, it’s all done automatically. The vehicles go around in a circle grabbing and releasing four different cables,” he said.

Riding the connector from Coliseum Station to the airport is expected to cost between $4 and $6. City officials hope the elevated people mover will help lure back airlines and encourage more tourists to fly from Oakland once it opens in 2014.

By 2020, officials at the Port of Oakland expect 10,000 passengers to use the connector every day.

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