The largest high-speed rail project in the country has released new images of its progress on infrastructure in Central Valley in California.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority said that work had finished on the 55th infrastructure project needed for phase one of the rail network, which is set to begin laying track this year.
Why It Matters
While the California high-speed rail project continues to make progress throughout the Central Valley, it is increasingly drawing the ire of the federal government.
President Donald Trump has been a longtime critic of the project, branding it a “waste” and a “green disaster.” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has echoed similar skepticism over the cost and timeline of the project, both of which have ballooned beyond original estimates.
What To Know
Despite the opposition, the authority is pressing forward with dozens of construction efforts in the Central Valley, revealing new images of completed work in Tulare County on Monday.
The pictures show the finished Avenue 56 grade separation, which raises traffic above the track route using a 219 feet long, 35 feet wide bridge.
Last week, the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced the completion of 53 structures and almost 70 miles of guideway between Merced and Bakersfield. Since then, two new structures have been completed, with 29 more underway.
The finished structures include the 4,741-foot San Joaquin River Viaduct in Fresno and the Hanford Viaduct in Kings County, which the authority described as the largest structure in the Central Valley for high-speed rail.
The progress comes as the authority wrestles with federal authorities for funding. This week, the Federal Railway Administration published a report that put the project “on notice” to properly deliver rail network in an appropriate time.
The report, published on June 5, said that the project was still $7 billion short, and that there was “no credible strategy in place to secure additional funds.”
However, the authority said in a response that the report was “inaccurate” and “often outright-misleading,” pointing to the completed structures in the Central Valley as evidence of progress.
What People Are Saying
Garth Fernandez, the authority’s Central Valley regional director, said in a statement seen by Newsweek: “To ensure the surrounding communities were safe and had access to vacate if needed during the heavy rains in 2023, the authority and our contractor worked cooperatively with local agencies and emergency services.
“We are delivering the nation’s first high-speed rail system and there are opportunities during construction to also help address the needs of the local community.”
What Happens Next
The rail project is entering the tracklaying phase this year, with much of its Central Valley infrastructure already completed.
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