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By Flynn Nicholls
US News Reporter
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The California High-Speed Rail Authority has announced the completion and opening of two new overcrossings in the Central Valley.
The overcrossings, located at Mountain View Avenue and Floral Avenue in Fresno County, will separate traffic from train tracks, as part of the ongoing project to develop a high-speed rail system in the state.
The Mountain View Avenue overcrossing spans 381 feet in length and 40 feet in width, while the Floral Avenue overcrossing measures more than 368 feet long and over 40 feet wide.
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Both structures are designed to carry vehicular traffic over the existing railroad tracks and the future high-speed rail tracks, eliminating the need for at-grade crossings. The design is expected to enhance safety by reducing the potential for accidents and to improve traffic flow by alleviating congestion.
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"Safety is of the utmost importance during and after construction of the high-speed rail project," said Garth Fernandez, the authority's Central Valley Regional Director. "Grade separations are important to ensure safety around the surrounding communities during future operations.
"They eliminate existing at-grade crossings, improving safety for vehicular traffic while also reducing traffic congestion and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from idling vehicles," Fernandez added.
The completion of these overcrossings is part of a broader effort to construct an environmentally friendly high-speed rail system, which has been in the works since California voted for its construction in 2008.
Phase 1 of the project, which aims to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles via the Central Valley by 200-mile-per-hour train, was initially proposed to cost $32 billion and be operational by 2020. It has since been delayed and increased in budget several times.
The first part of Phase 1, called the 'Initial Operating Segment,' is the Central Valley section, which plans to build 171 miles of electrified high-speed railroad between Merced and Bakersfield. That section is currently expected to be operational between 2030 and 2033.
Officials now estimate that the Bakersfield to Merced line alone could cost about $35 billion to finish, and that the Los Angeles to San Francisco route could cost $100 billion more.
Construction began in 2015, with $11.2 billion spent on planning and construction as of June 2023.
As of now, 119 miles of the Initial Operating Segment are under construction at 25 active construction sites in the Central Valley.
Earlier in July, the authority successfully environmentally signed off a section of proposed track between Los Angeles and the Central Valley, meaning the entire railroad connecting Los Angeles to the Bay Area has now been cleared.
The California High Speed Rail Authority has been contacted for further comment.
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