In 2002, Oakland voters approved Measure DD, a $198 million-dollar bond measure designed to upgrade area surrounding the city’s “crown jewel,” Lake Merritt.

Among other things, Measure DD funded the restoration of the Lake Merritt Boathouse (in conjunction with the opening of Lake Chalet restaurant), along with new walking/jogging paths, a new green water-runoff drainage system and enhancement to Children’s Fairyland.

Lake Chalet opened last July to great fanfare, adding a destination eatery with sweeping views and ambience comparable to Jack London Square, the Berkeley Marina and the Claremont Hotel. It also provided upgraded landscaping, which made the area much more pleasant for pedestrians, cyclists, joggers and bird-feeders.

This past May, construction crews started work on traffic, pedestrian and bike lanes connecting Lakeside Drive with 14th Street.

This past week, road work began on the project’s final stage: reconfiguring the existing 12-lane expressway into a six-car/four-bike lane throughway, which allows access to the lake from the Oakland Museum and Kaiser Convention Center through new walkways. The current dam will be demolished and replaced by a tree-lined median, while the beach currently at the south end of the lake is scheduled to be replaced by a new four-acre park with multi-use paths.

This phase of the project is expected to take two and a half years, barring delays, so commuters and area residents who frequently take the 12th Street expressway will have to get used to closed lanes, orange caution signs and possibly slower traffic during peak hours.

The 12th Street project has been in the works for a while, but finally, as this accompanying photo slideshow shows, the long-envisioned upgrade is starting to take shape.

Yes, Oakland is changing before our very eyes.