Bakersfield, California – California’s high-speed rail project, the most ambitious infrastructure undertaking of its kind in the United States, reached a new phase this week with the announcement that 53 of 93 planned structures for its first segment have been completed. Officials with the California High-Speed Rail Authority celebrated the construction benchmarks as a major leap forward, even as the project continues to weather political opposition and funding uncertainties.
In a June 12 news release, Ian Choudri, CEO of the Authority, described the progress as “momentous achievements,” citing the combined work of more than 1,700 laborers who have been on-site daily, primarily in Fresno, Kings, and Tulare Counties. The completed structures include the San Joaquin River Viaduct in Fresno and the Hanford Viaduct in Kings County—major feats of engineering that will carry bullet trains along the Central Valley corridor from Merced to Bakersfield.
Originally greenlit by California voters in 2008, the high-speed rail system is envisioned to eventually connect Los Angeles and San Francisco through the Central Valley, reshaping access to historically underserved regions. But the project has faced repeated delays and rising costs, prompting sharp criticism from former President Donald Trump, who called the rail line a “waste” and a “green disaster.” His administration previously threatened to withdraw federal funding…