PHOTO RELEASE: High-Speed Rail Reaches Construction Milestone in Kern County

July 8, 2022

KERN COUNTY, Calif. – Today, the California High-Speed Rail Authority, in collaboration with design-build contractor California Rail Builders, reached a historic milestone as the final pre-cast girders were placed on Construction Package 4. With this placement, all structures along the 22-mile stretch of high-speed rail between just north of the Tulare/Kern county line and Poplar Avenue south of the city of Wasco are now in construction.

Through the night, construction crews placed 12 pre-cast concrete girders over the State Route 46 underpass in Wasco to create a bridge that will carry high-speed trains parallel to the BNSF railroad.

See a quick video of the work online here.

Click to Enlarge Above Photos

Last month, crews installed 15 pre-cast girders at the Merced Avenue Grade Separation south of Wasco. Those girders spanned more than 177 feet and are some of the longest manufactured by subcontractor Con-Fab California. Earlier this spring, the last four of 120 pre-cast concrete girders were placed on the pergola section of the Wasco Viaduct.

Since the start of construction, the California high-speed rail project has created more than 8,000 construction jobs, a majority of which go directly to those living in the Central Valley. There are currently 119 miles under construction in the Central Valley with more than 30 active construction sites.

For more on construction, visit: www.buildhsr.com. The following link contains recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings: https://hsra.app.box.com/s/vyvjv9hckwl1dk603ju15u07fdfir2q8.

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