November 2021 Edition

Crews celebrated the completion of the Road 27 overcrossing in Madera County late this summer. The grade separation is located between Avenue 17 and Club Drive north of the City of Madera, and is one of nine grade separations in Madera County built to take traffic over the existing BNSF rail and future high-speed rail lines. The completed structure spans 636 feet long in length and more than 43 feet wide, complete with pedestrian access.

On the west side of the Union Pacific tracks near Fresno’s Chinatown, the abutment walls are up for the bridge that will cross over the Tulare Street underpass along G Street. Crews are also working on three retaining walls and a pump station that will help with drainage of water that may accumulate along the underpass. When complete, the Tulare Street Underpass will be 22 feet below grade and will include pedestrian access.

Drive on State Route 99 through the City of Fresno and you can see the dual-span of arches beginning to take shape at the Cedar Viaduct. Crews can be seen building the falsework on both sides of the structure. Soon, ironworkers will begin to tie rebar for the arches. Each arch will be nearly 179 feet long and nearly 40 feet tall.

At Adams Avenue in Fresno County, crews continue to work on the substructure for the future grade separation. Crews are nearly complete with the five concrete footings, two abutment walls and columns needed for the substructure. Superstructure work for the bridge will begin in 2022. When complete, the Adams Avenue Grade Separation will be 357 feet long, more than 40 feet wide and will take traffic over the BNSF and future high-speed rail lines.

At the Conejo Viaduct, crews continue to work on the edge beams of the pergola structure. To the south of the future pergola, the forms have already been stripped for the edge beams. Traveling north, crews continue to place concrete to form the edge beams. More than 1,000 cubic yards have been placed to date.

At the Tule River Viaduct south of the City of Corcoran, crews continue to excavate the bents by drilling cast-in-drilled holes (CIDH) for the foundation of the structure. You can see crews have already begun forming, installing rebar, and placing concrete for the columns on both sides of the BNSF rail line. Like other structures in Construction Package 2-3, the Tule River Viaduct will be a combination viaduct and pergola structure. More than 75 columns will need to be drilled and installed to carry high-speed trains over the existing BNSF rail line, State Route 43, and the Tule River. When complete, the Tule River Viaduct will be more than 3,573 feet long.

In September and October, crews worked late nights and weekends to place 40 girders to continue to form the pergola section of the Wasco Viaduct. Girders weighed in at more than 157,700 lbs. each with the longest girder spanning more than 135-feet long. More girders will be placed early next year. The pergola section of the Wasco Viaduct will allow high-speed trains to cross over the BNSF tracks.

Just south of the Wasco Viaduct, the Kimberlina Viaduct continues to take shape. Ironworkers are beginning to tie rebar for the deck of the structure. Concrete for the abutments and wingwalls have already been placed and concrete for the lower deck will be poured in the coming months.

At Peterson, concrete for the stem walls has been placed. Currently, crews are installing post-tensioning strands which reinforces the concrete. Crews will begin pre-stressing the bridge deck in the coming weeks. When complete, the structure will be more than 153-feet long, 52-feet wide and will take high-speed trains over Peterson Road.