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The Cedar Viaduct, the southern gateway into the Central Valley is now complete. Stretching over State Route 99 and taking future high-speed trains over the highway along with Cedar and North Avenues, the signature double span of arches can be seen from both sides of the highway. Construction on the Cedar Viaduct began in 2016. More than 8.6 million pounds of steel rebar and more than 37,000 cubic-yards of concrete were used to complete this signature structure. The Cedar Viaduct spans more than 3,700 feet long and more than 40 feet wide.

Crews are now working on the east side of the Tulare Street Underpass. Crews have removed utilities in the area and continue to excavate dirt and install shoring – supports that help prevent the movement of soil – for the construction of the future underpass and new bridge for the Union Pacific railroad. Bridgework will begin in the coming months. In addition, and just slightly south, a new cul-de-sac was completed on Kern Street near Chuckchansi Park stadium parking, just in time for the Fresno Grizzlies baseball season.

On Ventura Street, more utilities are being moved and shoring is being stalled to make way for the underpass. Crews are continuing to work on the retaining walls west of the Union Pacific tracks.  Earlier this year, crews hit a milestone by completing the G Street Bridge that spans over the Ventura Street Underpass which is now open to traffic.

At the Belmont Avenue Grade Separation, crews recently completed the abutment wall on the west side of the overpass. Abutment walls are part of the substructure of a bridge, including overpasses, and provide vertical and lateral support from the superstructure to the foundation. These walls also act as retaining walls by retaining embankment that will be placed in the future. Crews have also completed a few columns and are now working on the bent cap. A bent cap is an intermediate support that sits on top of a group of piles to help disperse lateral and vertical loads. The bent cap supports the girders and transfers loads to the bent columns. To the east, crews are working on several utility relocations including relocating PG&E, water and storm drains.

Construction crews are making headway at a number of high-speed rail grade separations in Fresno and Kings Counties – some of which are nearly completed. Both Dover Avenue and Idaho Avenue grade separations in Kings County are paved and ready to be striped and opened to traffic.

In Fresno County, the Elkhorn Avenue Grade Separation is paved and ready to be striped and open for future traffic.

At Davis Avenue, crews recently post-tensioned the bridge and are now working on the backwalls. Ironworkers have tied rebar and crews have recently placed concrete to form the barrier rails on top of the structure. The roadway will be paved in the coming weeks.

To date, 284 of the 978 pre-cast concrete girders have been placed on the Hanford Viaduct. Ironworkers are working each day to tie rebar for the deck and parapet walls of the structure. Over the last few months, workers have placed concrete for the diaphragms of the structure, which bring the girders set between each span of columns together.

Earlier this year, the last two of the 248 pre-cast concrete girders were placed for the pergola section of the Conejo Viaduct. Ironworkers and carpenters are now working on the upper edge beams of the structure, the portion of the structure that provides support and ties the pre-cast concrete girders together. To date, more than 9,000 cubic-yards of concrete have been placed to form the edge beams for the structure, with another 1,400 cubic-yards still needing to be placed.

Driving along State Route (SR) 43, you can see more than 150,000 cubic yards of embankment fill that has been placed to form the guideway on both sides of the Tied Arch Bridge. The guideway is where future high-speed trains will travel before it crosses over the highway and traffic, between Fresno and Kings counties. The Tied Arch Bridge spans 249-feet long and 52-feet wide.

At the McCombs Road Grade Separation, crews are working to realign and tie in the existing McCombs Road slightly north onto the future overpass. Crews have removed portions of the old road and are hauling aggregate to connect the roadway to the completed structure. The roadway will then be paved, striped and opened to traffic later this spring.

The Peterson Road Bridge is now complete. This elevated structure will take high-speed trains over the existing roadways in Kern County. The Peterson Road Bridge is 153 feet long and 52 feet wide built to accommodate two sets of high-speed rail tracks.

The Pond Road Viaduct is now complete. With the civil work complete, crews will now be tasked to haul embankment and connect the structures to the high-speed rail alignment. The Pond Road Bridge is 121-feet long.

Currently, crews are placing the final touches on the Wasco Viaduct. Along the pergola section, crews have worked to complete the parapets – or derailment walls – of the structure. More than 240,000 pounds of steel and 800 cubic yards of concrete were installed in the last few months. Crews also completed the installation of the expansion joints of the structure. Expansion joints are separations between two sections that allow for temperature-induced expansion or contraction without cracking or damaging the structure. The Wasco Viaduct is more than 2,000 feet long and carries trains through Kern County and over the BNSF freight tracks.

In August, crews began placing pre-cast concrete girders for the superstructure of the Hanford Viaduct. Each wide flange girder ranges in size between 53 to 74-feet long and weighs between 60,000 to 90,000 pounds. As many as 14 girders will be placed between each span of columns, and more than 900 girders will be needed all together. As of Oct. 1, 2022, more than 130 girders have been placed across 15 spans of columns.

Ironworkers are working hard tying rebar across the Wasco Viaduct. Crews are tying rebar to form the deck on the northern and southern portions of the pergola. Concrete has also been placed to form the edge beams of the Wasco Viaduct where girders were installed. More than 1,500 cubic yards of concrete were placed to form the two remaining edge beams and more than 1,400 cubic yards will be needed for the two remaining decks of the structure.

In Tulare County, crews continue to erect falsework across the pergola section of the Tule River Viaduct. North of the structure, ironworkers have begun tying rebar for the lower edge beams of the pergola section. The Tule River Viaduct is located south of Avenue 144 / Poplar Avenue and State Route 43, to the south of the Tule River. When complete, the structure will be more than 3,573 feet long.

On Oct. 12, 2022, the Kent Avenue Grade Separation was opened to traffic in Kings County. The Kent Avenue Grade Separation is located west of State Route 43 and south of Hanford. The overcrossing is 215 feet long, 35-feet wide, and takes traffic over the future high-speed rail tracks. To complete the structure, 12 pre-cast concrete girders spanning 56 feet to 91- feet long were placed to form the deck of the structure.

On Sept. 15, 2022, the Jackson Avenue Grade Separation was opened to traffic in Kings County. This is the first structure to be completed in Kings County. The new overcrossing is located between State Route 43 and Seventh Avenue, south of the city of Hanford. It is 212-feet long, 32-feet wide and takes traffic over the future high-speed rail tracks.

In August, crews began placing pre-cast concrete girders for the superstructure of the Hanford Viaduct. Each wide flange girder ranges in size between 53 to 74-feet long and weighs between 60,000 to 90,000 pounds. As many as 14 girders will be placed between each span of columns, and more than 900 girders will be needed all together. As of Oct. 1, 2022, more than 130 girders have been placed across 15 spans of columns.

Throughout the spring and summer, crews have placed 246 of the needed 248 pre-cast concrete girders for the pergola section of the Conejo Viaduct. To the south of the pergola, crews have tied rebar and placed concrete to form portions of an intrusion protection barrier – or IPB wall – that will allow high-speed trains to travel safely in the proximity of the BNSF railroad tracks.

More than 12,000 cubic yards of concrete have been placed to date to form the IPB wall that spans more than 3,400 feet wide, 40 feet tall, and up to five feet thick. When complete, it will help provide added safety between the high-speed rail and freight rail lines.

Over the summer, the arch cables between the double arches of the Cedar Viaduct were stressed. Shortly after, crews worked overnight to remove the falsework from underneath the structure that spans over State Route 99. Additional concrete will be placed to shape the parapet walls on top of the structure.

Progress continues at the Tulare Street Underpass between downtown Fresno and Fresno’s Chinatown. The G Street bridge is nearly completed. Post-tensioning of the bridge has been completed, falsework has been removed, and the concrete to form the barrier and sidewalk has been placed. Crews are now putting the finishing touches, including paving and installing streetlights, on the bridge for traffic. The G Street bridge should be open to the public soon. When complete, the Tulare Street Underpass will be 22 feet below grade and will include pedestrian access.

The Belmont Avenue Grade Separation is the newest construction site in Construction Package 1. Community meetings in English and Spanish were held over the summer to inform the public and key stakeholders regarding the latest structure. Work has kicked off on the west side of the Union Pacific tracks and utility relocations continue on the east side.

The Avenue 15 1/2 Grade Separation is the latest structure to be opened to traffic in Construction Package 1. The overpass structure is located at Road 29 / Santa Fe Drive, east of the city of Madera. It took 16 pre-cast girders and nearly 120 pre-cast concrete deck panels to complete the structure. The structure spans 468 feet long and 40 feet wide and takes traffic over the existing BNSF rail and future high-speed rail lines.

At our most southern portion of Construction Package 4, crews have installed all 15 girders needed for the superstructure of the Merced Avenue Grade Separation. Each girder spans more than 177 feet long and weighs more than 220,000 lbs. The girders were manufactured by Confab out of their Lathrop Plant and are some of the longest girders the company has ever done in California. Confab has also provided pre-cast concrete girders for other high-speed rail structures including the San Joaquin River Viaduct and Pergola in Construction Package 1. When complete, the Merced Avenue Grade Separation will be more than 509 feet long, 43 feet wide, and will take traffic over SR 43, BNSF, and future high-speed rail lines.

This spring, the last four of 120 pre-cast concrete girders were placed to form the pergola section of the Wasco Viaduct. Ironworkers can be seen tying rebar to form the edge beams bringing the pergola section together. To the south, ironworkers can also be seen tying rebar for the deck and parapet on top of the pergola. The Wasco Viaduct will take high-speed trains over the existing BNSF freight tracks and will be nearly 2,000 feet long when complete.

On July 7, 12 pre-cast concrete girders needed for superstructure were installed over State Route 46, parallel to the BNSF tracks. Ironworkers will continue to tie rebar on the diaphragms of the structure in the coming weeks.

The top of the McCombs Road Grade Separation is continuing to take shape. All 360 pre-cast concrete deck panels have been installed and crews are now making way for the installation of rebar for the deck and barrier reinforcement. When complete, the McCombs Road Grade Separation will be 415 feet long and will take traffic over, State Route 43, existing BNSF rail lines, and future high-speed rail lines.

At the Hanford Viaduct near Grangeville Boulevard, carpenters are working to erect falsework for the construction of the superstructure. More than 900 pre-cast concrete girders will be needed for the superstructure, all of which will be fabricated at the Dragados-Flatiron Joint Venture Pre-Cast Girder Facility just steps away from the structure. The first girders will be set for the superstructure later this summer.

Crews continue superstructure work on the Elkhorn Avenue Grade Separation. Crews have formed and placed concrete for the diaphragms of the structure, the portion of the bridge that helps support the load of the bridge deck between the abutments and set girders. 114 deck panels have been installed there. Ironworkers are now installing rebar for the deck of the structure at Elkhorn Avenue.

Crews continue superstructure work on the Fowler Avenue Grade Separation. Crews have formed and placed concrete for the diaphragms of the structure, the portion of the bridge that helps support the load of the bridge deck between the abutments and set girders. 114 deck panels will be installed at Fowler Avenue. Ironworkers will install rebar for the deck of the structure at Fowler Avenue in the coming weeks.

As of June 2022, crews have installed 156 of the needed 248 girders to form the pergola section of the Conejo Viaduct. Each girder spans nearly 124 feet long and weighs more than 159,000 lbs. To the south, crews have begun working on an intrusion protection barrier (IPB) wall between the Conejo Viaduct and the Peach Avenue structure. Crews have placed concrete to form the foundation, also known as the footings of the IPB wall and crews are now tying rebar for the wall and placing concrete for the wall itself. The wall will help improve safety when in operation, separate the high-speed rail alignment from the BNSF rail lines, and will help mitigate potential hazards.

The Adams Avenue Grade Separation is nearly complete. This spring, crews completed the deck of the structure and concrete barrier rail. Crews have begun grading embankments and will begin placing base coarse and paving the roadway in the coming weeks. When complete, the Adams Avenue Grade Separation will span 357 feet long, 40 feet wide and will take traffic over BNSF and future high-speed rail lines.

Concrete has cured and falsework has been stripped on all four of the concrete arches at the Cedar Viaduct in south Fresno. Arch cables have been installed between the arches and will be stressed in the coming weeks. The arch cables help support the load of the deck adding to the stability of the viaduct. Ironworkers have also tied rebar and will begin placing concrete for remaining portions of the parapet on top of the structure.

Between downtown and Fresno’s Chinatown, progress continues on the Tulare Street Underpass. The G Street bridge is nearly completed. Post-tensioning of the bridge has been completed, falsework has been removed, and the concrete to form the barrier and sidewalk has been placed. Crews are now putting the finishing touches, including paving and installing streetlights on the bridge for traffic. The G Street Bridge should be open to the public soon.

Superstructure work continues at the Avenue 15 ½ Grade Separation in Madera. In April, all 16 girders were placed and in May, crews set more than 117 deck panels for the top of the structure. Ironworkers continue to tie deck reinforcement and crews continue to place deck concrete. When complete, the Avenue 15 ½ Grade Separation will span 468-feet long, 40-feet wide and will take traffic over BNSF and future high-speed rail lines.

At the Avenue 15 ½ Grade Separation, crews have completed construction of the substructure including columns and bent caps. Concrete has been placed at the east abutment and crews are now forming the west abutment. Girders will be set for the superstructure later this Spring. When complete, the Avenue 15 ½ Grade Separation will be 468-feet long, and 40-feet wide and will take trains over BNSF and future high-speed rail lines.

Between downtown and Fresno’s Chinatown, progress continues on the Tulare Street underpass. Both tracks of the Union Pacific railroad have been cutover to the shoofly, a temporary track built for the construction of the grade separation. Also, the west approach retaining walls and excavation under G Street is now complete. Crews have also installed the falsework for the G Street Bridge, placed concrete to form the bridge deck, and are now preparing to begin post-tensioning the ducts inside the bridge deck.

The arches at the Cedar Viaduct continue to take shape. To date, crews have placed more than 225 cubic-yards of concrete to form three of the four arches that span over State Route 99. Concrete to form the fourth and final arch will be placed later this spring. To the south of the Cedar Viaduct, embankment continues to be hauled and mechanically-stabilized earth (MSE) walls continue to go up bringing the Cedar Viaduct and structure at Muscat Avenue together.

At Adams Avenue in Fresno County, crews recently installed 16 concrete pre-cast girders to form the superstructure of the Adams Avenue Grade Separation. Now, crews are gearing up to set pre-cast concrete panels to form the deck of the structure while ironworkers tie rebar for the diaphragms, the supporting portion of a bridge that goes between each girder to help prevent girders from rotating and to help distribute vertical load distribution.

South Avenue is open to traffic! Last month, the Authority in collaboration with design-build contractor Dragados-Flatiron Joint Venture (DFJV), announced the completion of the South Avenue Grade Separation. Located between Cedar and Maple Avenues, the newly constructed overpass allows traffic to travel over the existing BNSF Railway and future high-speed rail lines. It is one of 36 grade separations being built in Construction Package 2-3 to improve safety along the high-speed rail alignment. The South Avenue Grade Separation spans nearly 390 feet and is 40 feet wide.

Crews are working late nights and on weekends to install 248 pre-cast concrete girders needed for the pergola section of the Conejo Viaduct. As of March 1, crews have installed 33 girders that span nearly 124-feet long and weigh more than 150,000 lbs. each.

This Spring, 12 pre-cast concrete girders will be placed to form the superstructure of the Dover Avenue Overcrossing which will take traffic over the future high-speed rail lines. These girders will range from 62-feet to 91-feet long and weigh as much as 89,000 lbs. When complete, the overcrossing will be 227-feet long and more than 43-feet wide.

In Tulare County, crews have completed more than 100 Cast-in-Drilled-Holes to provide the foundation of the Tule River Viaduct. CIDH piles can be as large as 11-feet in diameter and are drilled up to 200-feet deep. Across the structure, crews are installing rebar and placing concrete to form the footings and future columns. As of Spring 2022, 32 of the 75 columns of needed for the Tule River Viaduct are now complete. Crews will be gearing up to install the falsework necessary to form the pergola section of the structure later this spring.

In Construction Package 4, the year kicked off with crews completing the installation of 15 pre-cast girders to form the superstructure of the McCombs Road Grade Separation. Work was completed over the four nights. Crews are now working on other superstructure elements and are preparing to place concrete for the abutment diaphragms. When the abutment diaphragms are formed, crews will begin installing 360 pre-cast concrete deck panels on top of the superstructure. When complete, the McCombs Road Grade Separation will be 415-feet long and will take traffic over, State Route 43, existing BNSF rail lines, and future high-speed rail lines.

Throughout January and February, carpenters and ironworkers continued working on the remaining edge girder sections of the Wasco Viaduct. Crews are now performing post-tensioning activities to reinforce the concrete before the last four girders are installed on the south side of the pergola structure. The viaducts on the north and south side of the structure are expected to be complete this spring. When complete, the Wasco Viaduct will be nearly 2,000 feet long.

The Peterson Road Bridge is nearly complete. Final touches are being put on the structure and crews will commence with constructing the embankments on the north and south sides of the bridge. In the coming weeks, Peterson Road will be striped and opened for traffic. The Peterson Road Bridge will take high-speed trains over traffic and will be more than 153-feet long and 52-feet wide.

In March, crews completed the lower deck of the Kimberlina Viaduct by placing 560 cubic-yards of concrete in the span of seven hours. Crews will start working on the stem walls by continuing to tie rebar and placing concrete throughout the spring. When complete, the Kimberlina Viaduct will be 110-feet long and will take high-speed trains over traffic.

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.

Work continues at the Road 27 Grade Separation in Madera County. On the north side of the structure, crews hauled more than 100,000 cubic yards of dirt to form the slope of the structure. At the most northern abutment, crews are working on joint sealing the abutment with concrete. Crews will then begin to pave the road with asphalt later this summer. When complete, the Road 27 Grade Separation will be 636-feet long, 43-feet wide and will take traffic and pedestrians over the existing BNSF and future high-speed rail lines.

At the Cedar Viaduct in Fresno County, crews are installing the metal pan decking across the superstructure spanning over State Route 99. To the south, crews are working on tying rebar and removing forms for the parapet – or safety barrier – on top of the structure. When complete, the Cedar Viaduct will span nearly 3,700 feet long and will carry high-speed trains over State Route 99, North Avenue, Cedar Avenue, and Golden State Boulevard.

At the Conejo Viaduct in Fresno County, crews are installing falsework for the edge beams of the superstructure, the portion of the structure that will carry high-speed trains over the BNSF tracks. To the south, ironworkers can be seen tying rebar for the lower edge beams where falsework has been installed. Ironworkers will continue to move north as falsework is installed.

At Fargo Avenue in Kings County, crews can be seen working on the bent caps that sit atop the columns of the future grade separation. Crews have completed hauling dirt for the slope on the east side of the structure. When complete, Fargo Avenue will be realigned slightly north atop of the overcrossing and will take traffic over the future high-speed rail lines.

At the Hanford Viaduct, crews are working on the abutments – the structure that connects the deck of the structure to the ground – at the most northern and southern portions of the structure. Going south, crews are nearly complete erecting 286 columns needed to form the substructure of the viaduct that will connect to the future Kings / Tulare Station. Hanford Viaduct is the largest high-speed rail structure in the Central Valley spanning nearly 6,330 feet long. When complete it will carry high-speed trains over Grangeville Boulevard, San Joaquin Valley Railroad, and State Route 198.

At Peterson Road in Kern County, crews are beginning work on the superstructure by installing forms for the girder walls. Bridge reinforcement and post tensioning apparatuses are also being set into the bridge structure to be stressed later this year. When complete, the structure will be more than 153-feet long, 52-feet wide and will take high-speed trains over Peterson Road.

Kimberlina Road is now closed between Shafter Avenue and State Route 43 in Kern County for work on the Kimberlina Viaduct. The abutment walls are up and crews are now preparing to begin work on the superstructure that will carry high-speed trains over Kimberlina Road. When complete, the viaduct will span 110-feet long.

Major work is happening in downtown and Chinatown Fresno. Crews have kicked off work at the Tulare Street and Ventura Street underpasses. Both underpasses will serve as grade separations eliminating the current Union Pacific railroad crossings, allowing traffic to travel underneath the freight line and future high-speed rail lines. Both underpasses will be more than 20-feet below grade and will include pedestrian access.

In Construction Package 1, work is progressing at the Road 27 structure in Madera County. On the eastside of the structure, crews recently placed concrete to form the backwall of the structure. Crews continue to haul embankment on the west side of the structure and approximately 150,000 cubic yards of embankment fill has been hauled to date. Coming up, crews will be placing concrete to form 1,800 feet of concrete barrier along the bridge.

In anticipation for a full road closure along Elkhorn Avenue, crews conducted road work along the Fowler-Elkhorn bypass. Elkhorn Avenue, between Clovis and Fowler avenues in Fresno County will be closed for construction of an overcrossing through February 2023.

With the deck and superstructure nearly complete at the South Avenue Grade Separation completed in Fresno County, crews are now paving the structure and installing guard rail along the structure. The intersection at South and Cedar avenues is still closed for roadwork. When complete, the South Avenue Grade Separation will take traffic over the existing BNSF and future high-speed rail lines.

At Davis Avenue, crews are working on the mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) coping, the portion of the retaining wall that hides the top edge of the facing panels. Next, crews will proceed with installing falsework for the future overcrossing that will take traffic over the high-speed rail lines.

At State Route 43 in Fresno County, crews are working on the footings and columns on east side of SR 43 for the future Tied Arch Bridge. Ironworkers are finishing up rebar while carpenters are working on rebar spaces and dobles. Rebar spacers are used to reinforce rebar as its assembled in place. Wire dobles are used to suspend rebar in freshly poured concrete. Concrete will be placed to form the abutments of the structure in the near future.

At the Tule River Viaduct in Tulare County, traffic has been rerouted to allow crews to begin substructure work including drilling and setting rebar cages for the future columns of the viaduct. 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.

At Wasco Viaduct in Kern County, crews recently completed first concrete pour on the box girder section at the north side of the Wasco Viaduct. At the center of the viaduct, crews are working to bring the box section and pergola sections together. On the west side, crews are erecting falsework that will connect both sides together while on the east side, crews can be seen drilling and placing rebar cages for the last seven columns.

In north Fresno, crews are hard at work at Veterans and Golden State Boulevard part of the second phase of the City of Fresno’s Veterans Boulevard Interchange and Corridor Improvement Project.

On both sides of Golden State Boulevard, crews have completed pile driving and column work for the substructure of the grade separation. Crews also completed work on the mechanically-stabilized earth (MSE) walls and are now working on the abutment caps and bent caps. Crews have also begun installing the falsework for the superstructure.

When complete, the Veterans Boulevard Project will include a grade separation taking traffic over the Union Pacific Railroad, Golden State Boulevard and future high-speed rail lines. The structure will include two spans and will be more than 294-feet long and 132-feet wide.

This City of Fresno improvement project is partially funded by the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

At the Avenue 144/Tule River Viaduct (pictured in rendering) in Tulare County, crews from Martinez Steel are tying rebar for a multi-cell reinforced box culvert, a structure that will allow water and wildlife to cross below the high-speed rail alignment. More than 800 cubic-yards of concrete will be placed for the base of the culvert. When completed, the culvert will be more than 12-feet high, 112-feet wide, and 101-feet long.

To the south, crews have begun paving for what will be the temporary State Route 43. In the near future, the highway will be shifted to the east to allow for construction of the future viaduct.

At the northern portion of the Conejo Viaduct in Fresno County, crews continue to place concrete to form the bents and columns of the substructure. To the south, crews continue to erect the column flares, the portion of the column that supports the superstructure. When complete, the 2,000-foot Conejo Viaduct will carry high-speed trains over the BNSF rail line, Conejo and Peach avenues.

In February, crews broke ground at the Dover Avenue Overcrossing in Kings County. Currently, crews are hauling roughly 800-900 truckloads of dirt each day to form the slopes of the future overcrossing and grade separation. When complete, the overcrossing will take traffic over the future high-speed rail lines and will span 2,816-feet long and 870-feet wide.

At Mountain View Avenue in Fresno County, crews are working on reconstructing and relocating the Elkhorn Ditch with the installation of a pre-cast box culvert. The future grade separation will take traffic over the BNSF and the future high-speed rail lines.

At McCombs Avenue, crews have poured four of the eight columns for the substructure of the McCombs Grade Separation. Crews continue to work on the west side of the BNSF tracks to prepare the forms and rebar to continue to pour future columns. When complete, the McCombs Avenue Grade Separation will take traffic over the BNSF and future high-speed rail lines.

At the Wasco Viaduct, crews continue to set panels on the mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall on the north side of the structure. Crews continue to backfill with dirt to form the slopes of the structure. At the top of the northside of the structure, ironworkers are tying rebar to form the box girder section as well as the bent diaphragm and anchors of the superstructure.

At the pergola section, crews recently completed a utility relocation allowing crews to get to work on the center portion of the structure. Crews have placed concrete to form the columns for the center span.

Further south, precast panels continue to be installed to form the deck of the structure. Surveyor crews on top of the overhead portion over the BNSF right-of-way mark the necessary points needed to bring the Wasco Viaduct together. Just below on the edge girder, crews are working on the finishing of the exposed surface.

Work is nearly complete at the Avenue 12 Grade Separation. Crews have shifted traffic onto the structure and are working to put the final touches on the structure itself including some profile grinding on the top of the roadway which will enhance the safety and ride along the roadway.

At the northern portion of the Cedar Viaduct, crews continue to construct the falsework for the structure taking high-speed trains over Golden State Boulevard. South of Golden State Boulevard, crews have begun stripping some of the falsework of the viaduct. Near State Route 99, carpenters continue to build the formwork for the arches and ironworkers continue to tie rebar for the arch beams.

Crews are working on top of the superstructure getting ready for another concrete pour for the back wall of the structure. Shortly after, crews will backfill the wall with fill material.

In November, a new construction site broke ground in Fresno County at the Adams Avenue overcrossing. Crews have completed the original grade preparations including closing and demolishing the roadway and are now hauling-in dirt for preliminary work on the slopes of the structure.

At Cairo Avenue (first photo), construction crews have the abutments built and ready for the falsework of the superstructure to be installed.

Nearby at Ninth Avenue (second photo), continued construction of the falsework for the superstructure of the future high-speed rail structure. Crews will now tie-in rebar for the soffit of the structure in preparation of a concrete placement. Both structures will carry high-speed trains above grade and allow traffic to pass underneath.

At the Tule River Viaduct in Tulare County, subcontractors are working on drilling more than 150 cast-in-drilled-hole (CIDH) piles to provide the foundation of the future high-speed rail structure. Each pile ranges from 60 to 200 feet in length. These piles will form the bents of the substructure. The Tule River Viaduct will carry high-speed trains from the east to the west side of the BNSF freight line, and across State Route 43.

Just north of Wasco at McCombs Avenue, crews completed the first mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall on the east side of State Route 43 (SR 43). In the coming months, they will begin working on the west side of the highway. The McCombs Avenue Grade Separation will take traffic over SR 43, BNSF freight line, and the future high-speed rail lines.

At Pond Road, crews are preparing to place nearly 340 cubic yards of concrete to form the stem walls on both sides of the high-speed rail structure. When completed, the structure will span 121 feet long and 52 feet wide and will take high-speed trains over Pond Road.

At the Wasco Viaduct, north of the pergola section, crews are installing post-tensioning ducts and tying rebar at the box girder section. At the pergola section, rebar is being installed at the lower edge girder. At the south viaduct, preparations are being made to install falsework at the beginning of the new year. Concrete placements will resume in January.

In Madera County, a newly constructed overpass at Avenue 15 has been opened to traffic. The overpass located between State Route 99 and Road 32 allows traffic to travel over the existing BNSF railroad tracks and the future high-speed rail system.

Two other grade separations are getting closer to completion. Crews have recently paved and striped the Avenue 10 and 7 overpasses in Madera County that will open by fall.

In July, crews shut down State Route 99 (SR 99) overnight to place the last two precast girders to form the superstructure of the Cedar Viaduct. Ironworkers continue to tie rebar for the edge beams of the structure. When complete, the Cedar Viaduct will be nearly 3,700-feet long and will carry trains over SR 99, North and Cedar Avenues, and Golden State Boulevard.

A Fresno County structure is nearly complete. The American Avenue Grade Separation is paved and striped and ready to take traffic over the BNSF and future high-speed rail lines. The structure will also open by fall.

There is plenty of work happening just west of downtown Fresno and the future high-speed rail station. At Tulare and G Street, crews are relocating a telecommunications line near the future high-speed rail undercrossing. Crews are also relocating electrical utilities at Mono and G Street, and at Fresno and G Street in preparation for future construction.

Several girders have been successfully placed at the South Avenue overcrossing in Fresno County. Construction crews worked through the night to place eight girders over BNSF railroad tracks during a 17-hour window. The girders ranging from 55,000 lbs to 175,000 lbs were manufactured at the Dragados-Flatiron/Joint Venture pre-cast plant in Hanford and transported to the construction site. When complete, the South Avenue grade separation will take traffic over the BNSF and future high-speed rail tracks.

This month, ironworkers at the Conejo Viaduct continue to assemble rebar cages that will be used to form the columns of the viaduct. The rebar cages are then lifted and placed in cast-in-drilled-holes (CIDH) bents to provide future support of the structure. On the east side of the BNSF railroad, 26 columns will be needed for the structure.

On the west side of the BNSF tracks, 18 of the 24 columns have been erected. Crews are now working on pouring concrete to form the column flares, the portion of the column that supports the structure. All column rebar cages should be fabricated and placed in the coming weeks.

Over the last month, crews continue to haul nearly 400 truckloads of dirt a day to form the slopes of the Davis Avenue Grade Separation. Crews are now setting panels to form two mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining walls and backfilling the walls with dirt. The Davis Avenue Grade Separation will allow traffic to cross over the high-speed rail alignment.

At the northern segment of the Hanford Viaduct near Grangeville Boulevard, crews continue to erect the concrete columns needed to support the top of the structure. Crews continue to work north to south, hoisting the forms for the columns into place toward the middle section of the viaduct before concrete is poured to form the column.

In the middle of the Hanford Viaduct, crews are fine grading the bottom of the bridge footings with rock. Off in the distance, crews continue to work going north, driving concrete piles needed to provide support for the structure.

The Wasco Viaduct continues to take shape with plenty of work happening across the entire structure. To the north, crews are placing temporary forms for a retaining wall that will reach 34-feet high. Close by, crews are placing the bulk head on the end of the section footing in preparation for a concrete pour. Nearly 290 cubic-yards will be needed for the footing. At the pergola section crews continue to tie rebar on the upper edge girders while carpenters are placing forms for the upper edge girder for concrete placement.

North of Wasco in Kern County, crews placed nearly 431 cubic-yards of concrete to form the deck of the Pond Road Viaduct. The job took 8 hours to complete and was the second concrete placement at the structure. The week before, crews placed 66.5 cubic-yards of concrete to form the diaphragms. The Pond Road Viaduct will span approximately 121 feet in length, 52 feet wide, and will allow high-speed trains to cross over Pond Avenue.