The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today on April 24, 2025, another milestone on the nation’s first high-speed rail system with the completion of the Whitley Avenue underpass in Kings County. Whitley Avenue, now open to traffic, is the second high-speed rail structure to be completed in 2025.
In March 2023, Whitley Avenue was closed to traffic to begin construction of the underpass. That same month, the Central Valley was impacted by atmospheric rivers and heavy rains causing significant flooding in Kings and Tulare counties. By request of local emergency services and Kings County, the Authority and contractor Dragados-Flatiron Joint Venture (DFJV) coordinated to reopen the roadway, deploying trades workers in less than 24 hours.
In days, workers rebuilt the roadway along Whitley Avenue to serve as an additional access road for residents and emergency services. Whitley Avenue remained open until September 2023 before it was closed again for construction. The Whitley Avenue underpass is located between State Route (SR) 43 and SR 137, east of the city of Corcoran in Kings County. The structure is a cast-in-place box culvert that will allow east and westbound traffic to travel underneath the high-speed rail corridor.
