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PHOTO RELEASE: High-Speed Rail Completes Underpass at Whitley Avenue in Kings County

April 24, 2025

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Whitley Avenue underpass in Kings County is now open to traffic. The underpass allows east and westbound traffic to travel underneath the high-speed rail corridor. Prior to construction, the Authority worked to reopen Whitley Avenue temporarily to help during the heavy rains and flooding impacting Kings and Tulare counties.

KINGS COUNTY, Calif. – The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today announced 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 this year.

Photograph of a big group of construction workers in front of Whitley Avenue underpass with a ribbon and big scissors.
Photograph of Whitley Avenue underpass

Open above images for larger versions.

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.

The underpass is more than 128 feet wide and provides 17 feet of vertical clearance. The structure is comprised of 4,497 cubic yards of concrete and 1,577,635 pounds of reinforced steel.

 

Headshot of Central Valley Regional Director Garth Fernandez in front of Authority's Fresno office front doors.

“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. 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% electrified rail.”

Garth Fernandez, Authority Central Valley Regional Director

An infographic explaining some key details about the Whitley Ave Underpass. It says that the structure has 17 feet of vertical clearance, is 128 feet wide, and had material requirements of 4,497 cubic yards of concrete and 1,577,635 pounds of reinforced steel. For a more through explanation of this image please email info@hsr.ca.gov and reference this news release's headline in the subject and body of your email.Open the above image for a larger version.

Construction progresses every day on the California high-speed rail project. There are currently 171 miles under design and construction from Merced to Bakersfield. More than 60 miles of guideway is completed and of the 93 structures needed, more than 50 are complete and more than 30 are under construction between Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties.

Since the start of high-speed rail construction, the project has created more than 15,000 good paying construction jobs for residents, a majority going to residents of the Central Valley.

Nearly 1,600 workers are dispatched to a high-speed rail construction site daily.

Interviews in Spanish are available upon request. For more information, contact the Authority’s media relations office at: news@hsr.ca.gov. Se ofrecen entrevistas en Español bajo solicitud. Para obtener más información, contacte a la Oficina de Relaciones con los Medios por correo electrónico: news@hsr.ca.gov.

For the latest on high-speed rail construction, visit www.buildhsr.comExternal Link.

The following link contains recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings: https://hsra.app.box.com/s/vyvjv9hckwl1dk603ju15u07fdfir2q8External Link.

Files are all available for free use, courtesy of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

Build More, Faster

High-speed rail is a key part of Governor Newsom’s Build More, FasterExternal Link agenda, delivering infrastructure upgrades and creating jobs throughout the state. Discover more: Build.ca.govExternal Link

 

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