April 2020 Edition

April Construction Update
As we work together to flatten the curve of COVID-19, construction workers building the nation’s first high-speed rail system are taking extra safety precautions out in the field as construction continues in the Central Valley. The California High-Speed Rail project, like most transportation projects around the state, is considered a critical infrastructure sector.

With more than 800 workers dispatched in the first week of April, staff, contractors, and construction workers are working closely with unions and the Building Trades in following specific guidelines to ensure the health and safety of all employees. With 119 miles of construction underway, we are proud to keep people at work and continue critical infrastructure for California.

Updates Per Project

CP 1: Cedar Viaduct

At the Cedar Viaduct, crews have placed 38 of the 40 girders across the superstructure spanning State Route 99 (SR 99). North of SR 99, crews have begun formwork on an abutment for high-speed rail to cross over Golden State Boulevard. The Cedar Viaduct spans nearly 3,700 feet and crosses over SR 99, Golden State Boulevard, Cedar and North avenues.

CP 2-3: Idaho Avenue

This month, Idaho Avenue was closed to traffic to allow hauling to begin for construction of an overpass. More than 11,000 yards of dirt have been imported to the site as crews prepare the slopes and compact dirt for the structure. As many as 15 haul trucks are being used each day to transport the fill-dirt.

CP 4: Wasco Avenue

Ironworkers are hard at work at the Wasco Viaduct in Kern County. Crews are continuing to drill shafts where rebar will be placed to form columns for the pergola structure. On top of the deck, ironworkers with Pacific Steel Group are setting horizontal bars to link the stirrups of the girders for the west side of the pergola. When complete, the viaduct and pergola will be nearly 2,000-feet in length.

CP 4: Pond Road

At Pond Road, just west of State Route 43 (SR 43) in Kern County, laborers are grading Pond Road for the falsework pads of the structure. Carpenters are also building the forms that will eventually be installed to support the bridge deck, which will mold the aesthetic pattern of the structure. This viaduct will take future high-speed trains over Pond Road. When complete, the viaduct will be approximately 121-feet in length and 52-feet wide.

CP 4: Kimberlina Road

Concrete trucks are staged at Kimberlina Road near SR 43 where workers are placing concrete into the shafts of the foundation of the viaduct structure. Nearby, crews are continuing to drill additional shafts where rebar will eventually be placed. This viaduct will be approximately 117-feet in length and 110-feet wide when complete.