The Hanford viaduct, a key section of California’s high-speed rail project, is nearing completion as workers continue to make progress on the ambitious plan to connect the Bay Area to Los Angeles. Adrian Badillo, a construction worker from Hanford, has been working on the site since 2020. “It’s nice, you know, being so close to home; usually the life of a union worker is on the road,” Badillo said. Reflecting on the progress, Badillo added, “It’s a good feeling because when I got here, we were still doing the footings, the stuff that is buried now that you can’t see. So to stand on top of this, it’s amazing.” Kyle Richardson, another worker on the project, shared his admiration for the team’s efforts. “These men and women work really hard. They work their butts off, and it’s really awesome to see that,” Richardson said. The Hanford viaduct spans over a mile and is the largest active construction site for the high-speed rail. So far, 61 of the 93 structures needed to support the first leg of the rail through the Central Valley have been completed. “The California high-speed rail project is the first of its kind, the first in the nation. Innovation takes time,” California High-Speed Rail Authority spokesperson Augie Blancas said. However, the project has faced significant delays. It was approved by voters in 2008 with the promise of being operational by 2020. “A lot of people might not see the efforts and the progress that we’ve made each and every day because we are in rural areas. But we have made a significant amount of progress,” Blancas added. The cost of the project has also increased from an estimated $45 billion to between $126 billion and $230 billion. The viaduct could see tracks installed within six months, though it will still be years before the first train is operational.”I’ve been out here for the past few years putting in 100% effort to get this done, and I know there are a lot of men and women in the same boat. We want to build something great for California,” Badillo said.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google

The Hanford viaduct, a key section of California’s high-speed rail project, is nearing completion as workers continue to make progress on the ambitious plan to connect the Bay Area to Los Angeles.

Adrian Badillo, a construction worker from Hanford, has been working on the site since 2020.

“It’s nice, you know, being so close to home; usually the life of a union worker is on the road,” Badillo said.

Reflecting on the progress, Badillo added, “It’s a good feeling because when I got here, we were still doing the footings, the stuff that is buried now that you can’t see. So to stand on top of this, it’s amazing.”

Kyle Richardson, another worker on the project, shared his admiration for the team’s efforts.

“These men and women work really hard. They work their butts off, and it’s really awesome to see that,” Richardson said.

The Hanford viaduct spans over a mile and is the largest active construction site for the high-speed rail. So far, 61 of the 93 structures needed to support the first leg of the rail through the Central Valley have been completed.

“The California high-speed rail project is the first of its kind, the first in the nation. Innovation takes time,” California High-Speed Rail Authority spokesperson Augie Blancas said.

However, the project has faced significant delays. It was approved by voters in 2008 with the promise of being operational by 2020.

“A lot of people might not see the efforts and the progress that we’ve made each and every day because we are in rural areas. But we have made a significant amount of progress,” Blancas added.

The cost of the project has also increased from an estimated $45 billion to between $126 billion and $230 billion.

The viaduct could see tracks installed within six months, though it will still be years before the first train is operational.

“I’ve been out here for the past few years putting in 100% effort to get this done, and I know there are a lot of men and women in the same boat. We want to build something great for California,” Badillo said.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google