News Release: Garces Highway Viaduct in Kern County Completed

Jan 27 2021 Kern County

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) and design-build contractor California Rail Builders today announced the completion of the Garces Highway Viaduct, north of the city of Wasco in Kern County. The viaduct, which will carry high-speed trains over Garces Highway, is the second structure completed in Construction Package 4 and the first finished in 2021.

The Garces Highway Viaduct is located three miles west of State Route 43, along Garces Highway near Scofield Avenue. The project also realigned Scofield Avenue parallel to the high-speed rail line. The viaduct spans nearly 102 feet, 4 inches in length and is 52 feet, 8 inches wide with a vertical clearance of more than 15 feet.

“Completion of the Garces Highway Viaduct is a great way to kick off another year of construction,” said Garth Fernandez, the Authority’s interim Central Valley Regional Director. “Thanks to the hard work of our construction crews, this project segment is on schedule and we expect to see several more structures completed in Kern County this year.”

Garces Highway Viaduct is part of Construction Package 4, the 22-mile stretch of high-speed rail from one mile north of the Tulare-Kern County line to Poplar Avenue in Kern County. The Authority anticipates completing all major construction in this construction package by early 2022.

Since the start of construction, more than 5,000 construction workers have been dispatched on the project, with nearly 77% coming from eight counties in the Central Valley.

For the latest on construction, visit www.buildhsr.com.

###