The City of Bakersfield received notification that the Appellate Court in Fresno has denied the Citizens Against the 24th Street Widening Project’s request for an injunction while its appeal ofthe project’s recirculated environmental impact report is pending. (The court order is available on the TRIP website: www.bakersfieldfreeways.us.) This allows the City to move forward with all work required for the 24th Street Improvement Project.
Final design was restarted in late October, but additional field work is needed to complete thedesign plans. Within the next few weeks, potholing crews will be working along the corridorgathering information vital to the completion of the project’s drainage plans.
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Right-of-way activities are moving forward. All but one full parcel have been acquired, but
several small partial acquisitions are needed before the corridor can be widened. The City
also anticipates advertising for additional demolition bids in February, and the first structures
could be removed as soon as early spring.
Following demolition, the City would be able to begin the project’s sound wall construction
planned within the residential section of the corridor. The selection of the wall design has been placed on City Council’s agenda for the January 25th meeting, and is needed for the project designer to complete the sound wall construction plans. The wall locations and design options are available on the TRIP website (114 residents submitted a design preference, with 72 percent stating a preference for Option 4).
These court proceedings, coupled with the time required to develop and circulate the recirculated environmental impact report, have delayed the start of construction by nearly two years. Roadwork is now expected to begin in late 2018.
-courtesy City Manager's Office
