The California High-Speed Rail Authority recently opened the Whitley Avenue underpass in Kings County to traffic, the second high-speed rail structure the agency completed this year.
The underpass, a cast-in-place box culvert that allows east and westbound traffic to travel underneath a high-speed rail corridor, was constructed using 1.6 million pounds of reinforced steel and 4,497 cubic yards of concrete. It measures more than 128 feet wide and provides 17 feet of vertical clearance.
“We continue to make progress and remain committed to completing several more structures across the Central Valley this year, including some of our largest viaducts,” Garth Fernandez, Authority Central Valley regional director, said. “Avenue is a prime example of how the authority, alongside city and county agencies, can overcome challenges, including Mother Nature, and progress toward a future with 100 percent electrified rail.”
The agency closed Whitley Avenue to traffic in March 2023. Later that month, it was reopened by request of local emergency services and Kings County following heavy rains that caused significant flooding. In September 2023, it again closed for construction.
Daily, nearly 1,600 workers are working at a high-speed rail construction site. More than 30 sites are under construction in five counties.