October 13, 2022 – KINGS COUNTY, Calif. –The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority), in collaboration with Dragados-Flatiron Joint Venture, on Wednesday announced the completion of the Kent Avenue Grade Separation – the second high-speed rail overpass to open to traffic in Kings County within the last month.
The Kent Avenue Grade Separation is located along Kent Avenue west of State Route 43 and south of Hanford. The overcrossing is 215 feet long, 35 feet wide and takes traffic over the future high-speed rail tracks. Crews placed 12 pre-cast concrete girders spanning 56 to 91 feet long to form the deck of the structure.
Overhead drone shot of the Kent Ave overpass looking down at the road
This new structure is the latest sign of progress in the Central Valley, following this summer’s completion of the Jackson Avenue Grade Separation in Kings County and the Avenue 15 ½ Grade Separation in Madera County. In addition, the Authority recently awarded contracts to advance design along the Merced to Madera and Fresno to Bakersfield project sections, expanding the 119-mile segment to 171 miles of electrified high-speed rail under development and construction.
Since the start of construction, the high-speed rail project has created nearly 9,000 construction jobs, with a majority going to residents living in the Central Valley. This includes 2,913 going to residents from Fresno County, 1,608 from Kern County, 849 from Tulare County, 380 from Madera County and 293 from Kings County.