A federal grant announced Tuesday will fund an in-depth look at the cost and benefits of reclassifying Highway 58 as the western extension of Interstate 40, which could bring upgrades to the thoroughfare and support economic development in Kern County.
The US Department of Transportation awarded the $1.37 million grant to the region’s transportation planning agency, the Kern Council of Governments, after hearing from local congressmen and municipalities supportive of the change.
There’s no firm sense yet of how much money it would cost to raise Highway 58 to federal interstate standards, or even how long before a decision might ultimately be made to proceed with any such reclassification, said Kern COG’s executive director, Jay Schlosser. But he emphasized it’s a necessary first step on the road to what could be a minor boon to the county.
“Being on an interstate, it matters,” Schlosser said. “Towns on interstates typically are more important.”
Extending Interstate 40 west through Tehachapi and Bakersfield all the way to Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo County would build on — and gain from — federal, state and local investments already made on the Westside Parkway. Schlosser said that project has essentially made Highway 58 “a straight line” through Bakersfield.
On one level, the need for investment is almost obvious: Highway 58 has experienced an increase of about 4,000 trucks per day since 2011, according to Kern COG. Caltrans says it carries 55,800 vehicles per day over the Tehachapi summit, almost a third of which are tractor-trailers.
Before it could be designated the western extension of Interstate 40 in Barstow, the highway would have to undergo a series of improvements. These would include new on- and off-ramps in the Mojave area and east of Arvin.
A reclassification to interstate status would likely offer substantial benefits to Kern County’s logistics and distribution industry. A presentation prepared by Kern COG notes that reclassifying Highway 58 could help minimize the number of empty trucks moving through the county, especially if done in coordination with an intermodal rail facility The Wonderful Co. hopes to develop in Shafter.
The proposed designation would also help support a so-called inland port freight facility proposed in eastern Kern.
Rep. Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, said in a news release any such designation would unlock Highway 58’s “full potential for Kern County and the nation.” The release noted he wrote a letter of support for Kern COG’s grant application in February.
“I am proud to have supported this effort and look forward to seeing this study lay the groundwork for necessary and essential improvements to one of California’s most vital transportation arteries,” he stated.
Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Big Bear Lake, said in the same release it is critical to evaluate opportunities for improving the highway’s safety, efficiency and capacity as freight traffic continues to increase.
“This federal funding will help identify the infrastructure improvements needed to support economic growth and ensure this vital corridor can meet future transportation demands.”
Formerly known as US 466, Highway 58 runs from Highway 101 east to Interstate 15 in Barstow. If it were declared part of I-40, a thoroughfare that already runs through central Bakersfield would continue east all the way through the heart of Nashville, Tenn., to reach North Carolina.
Schlosser said Kern COG hopes the study will allow it to make the case that there’s good reason for improving Highway 58 in advance of an interstate designation.
Already the organization has communicated with all three Caltrans districts that touch Highway 58 and talked with communities along or near the route, including Bakersfield, Tehachapi and Shafter.
The study will examine the economic impacts of a reclassification, which would probably be positive from a business standpoint, given the county’s emergence as an alternative to the Inland Empire. Schlosser noted that effort will take a great deal of work.
“We are a long way away … from actually doing that,” he said.