AASHTO Journal - California Issues $2.7B to 150 New Transportation Projects

Governor Gavin Newsom (D) recently announced 150 new transportation projects that seek to improve travel times, expand travel options beyond driving, and strengthen infrastructure assets against severe weather and other climate-driven threats will receive $2.7 billion in state funding.

[Above photo by Caltrans]

This latest investment brings California Transportation Commission allocations under the governor’s administration to approximately $81.1 billion to date. Of the combined total, nearly $1.6 billion is funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA and another $542 million from California’s Senate Bill 1, also known as the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

Key projects receiving support from this latest tranche of state transportation funding include:

Caldecott Tunnel in Orinda – $267 million to rehabilitate and upgrade the ventilation systems of three of the four bores that make up the tunnel. The project replaces the tunnel’s structural pavement, upgrades drainage and underdrain systems, and improves electrical systems to light emitting diode or LED lighting.
State Route 37 Project – $63 million to add two new High Occupancy Vehicle lanes to State Route 37 in Sonoma County between Sears Point and Mare Island to improve traffic flow during peak travel times.
Safe Routes to School – $1.8 million to install warning beacons, signs and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramps at several uncontrolled multi-lane crosswalks in the community of Oildale in east Bakersfield.
Infrastructure improvements for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games – $2.45 million for infrastructure improvements and safety upgrades to four transit stations in Los Angeles County in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics. Improvements to the 7th Street/Metro Center, Norwalk, Union Station, and Harbor Gateway stations include new wayfinding, lighting, security, passenger amenities and landscaping.
Wildlife Crossing in Dunsmuir – $76.5 million to install a wildlife crossing and fencing along I-5 near Dunsmuir in Shasta County. The project will also upgrade pavement, guardrails, signs, and drainage systems.
Eel River Fish Passage – $33.5 million for three projects to improve fish passage by removing current barriers, replacing culverts with concrete bridge structures, and reducing sediment loads on the South Fork of the Eel River near State Route 1 in Humboldt County.

“California is building a transportation system ready for the future – one that can withstand extreme weather, give people more ways to get where they need to go, and keep our economy moving,” Gov. Newsom noted in a statement.

“These investments fuel the state’s mission to deliver a transportation system that is evolving and continuing to serve all Californians, regardless of their travel mode,” added Toks Omishakin, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency.