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Image of logo that says Building CAPHOTO RELEASE: High-Speed Rail Completes Kings County Grade Separation Project in Less Than a Year

 

Ninth Structure to be Complete in 2025 

October 31, 2025

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The Hanford Armona Road grade separation project in Kings County is complete and open to traffic. The grade separation project is the ninth structure to open to traffic this year and was completed in less than one year. The grade separation improves safety near the corridor, taking traffic over the future high-speed rail tracks. 

KINGS COUNTY, Calif. –  The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today announced the completion of the Hanford Armona Road grade separation project in Kings County. Hanford Armona Road is the ninth structure to be completed, and the third structure to be completed in Kings County this year – bringing the total number of structures completed to 58.

The Hanford Armona Road grade separation is located east of the city of Hanford between State Route 43 and 7th Avenue. The structure spans 209 feet, 80 feet wide and will take east and westbound vehicular traffic over the future high-speed rail tracks. It is also located less than a mile south of the Hanford Viaduct, high-speed rail’s largest active construction project.

Construction began on Hanford Armona Road in January 2025. The structure is comprised of 1,622 cubic yards of concrete and 385,515 pounds of steel. The structure is also comprised of 24 pre-cast concrete girders manufactured by contractor Dragados-Flatiron Joint Venture.

Blue rectangular graphic featuring a stylized yellow drawing of an overpass extending over future high-speed rail tracks. Text on the image reads: “Hanford Armona Grade Separation by the Numbers: 209 feet long, 80 feet wide, 1,622 cubic yards of concrete, 385,515 pounds of steel, 24 pre-cast concrete girders, will carry east and westbound vehicular traffic over the future high-speed rail tracks.”

Click the image to view a larger version.

Headshot of Ben Ruiz, Director of Infrastructure Delivery

"We are working steadfastly to complete all civil structures and grade separations by the end of next year. Thanks to collaboration between our team and the contractor, we were able to complete Hanford Armona Road in less than a year, allowing us to shift focus on other remaining structures in Kings County, improving safety throughout the county overall."

Ben Ruiz, Director of Infrastructure Delivery
Concrete overpass stretching above unpaved roadway which will hold future high-speed rail tracks. Four construction trucks are on top of the overpass. The sky is clear and blue, and cleared agricultural fields surround the overpass.
Aerial view of concrete overpass above an unpaved road. The overpass is surrounded by agricultural land that has been cleared and is brown in color.
An image shot from above via drone of the Hanford Armona Road Grade Separation, from very high and very far away to give a sense of scale. Streaking straight down the center of the image from the bottom of the image frame to the horizon line with a cloudless sky at the top of the image frame is the future right of way of high-speed rail, where tracks will go, and over which the Hanford Armona structure passes over. The bright new concrete span is centered in the image, with the earthen approach embankments to the right and left of it. Recently moved earth tones are everywhere, and the slopes of the earthen embankments are treated with a substance that distinguishes them from everything around them.
An image shot from above via drone of the Hanford Armona Road Grade Separation. The bright new concrete span is in the top left of the image, with one of the earthen approach embankments sloping down and to the right for the rest of the image. Recently moved earth tones are everywhere, and the slopes of the earthen embankments are treated with a substance that distinguishes them from everything around them. A cloudless sky above the horizon line frames the top of the image.

Open the above images for larger versions.

Throughout 2025, the Authority has completed eight other grade separation projects in the Central Valley. This year, the Whitley Avenue Underpass and Fargo Avenue Grade Separation projects were opened to traffic in Kings County. Earlier this month, Avenue 17 in Madera County was opened to traffic. In July, the Tulare Street underpass and grade separation opened to traffic, reconnecting downtown and Fresno’s Chinatown.

Grade separations separate vehicles and pedestrians from current freight rail and future high-speed rail operations. They reduce environmental and health impacts from idling vehicles and provide safety and economic benefits for the community.

High-Speed Rail Progress

Work continues daily on the high-speed rail project, with 171 miles currently under design and construction from Merced to Bakersfield. More than 70 miles of guideway are complete, along with 58 structures, and more than 30 underway across Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties.

The project continues to advance statewide, with 463 miles of the 494-mile San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim system fully environmentally cleared and construction ready.

Since construction began, the project has created more than 16,100 good-paying jobs—most filled by Central Valley residents. Up to 1,700 workers report to high-speed rail construction sites each day.

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.com.

The following link contains recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings: https://hsra.box.com/v/ca-hsr-media-resources. 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, Faster agenda, delivering infrastructure upgrades and creating jobs throughout the state. Discover more: Build.ca.gov
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