Residents push Kern County for road repairs, lighting and flood fixes; board announces $31 million Wheat Patch Highway contract

Residents from Lamont, Arvin, Delano and La Colonia urged the Kern County Board of Supervisors on March 25 to prioritize road repairs, add lighting and signage, and address chronic flooding that residents say interferes with emergency response and daily life.

Speakers described failing pavements, flooded streets, missing sidewalks and inadequate lighting. Several asked the board to include specific local projects in next fiscal-year budget priorities and thanked Supervisor David Couch and staff for meeting with residents on follow-up plans.

“San Jose Avenue is just a dirt road at the moment and during the rainy season, it gets flooded,” Delano resident Armando Macias said, describing instances when emergency vehicles and police could not drive through because of flooding. Another resident said fire crews had to access an incident by driving across private property because the street was impassable.

Community organizer Diana Mireles of the Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment presented a packet of priority projects from residents and said the package was intended to guide budgeting for the coming fiscal year. Multiple speakers asked for additional stop signs, flashing beacons and street lighting to reduce accidents in poor-weather conditions.

Supervisor Parsley (Parlier) announced a separate county action: “there's approximately a $31,000,000 contract that's going out to improve Wheat Patch Highway from approximately Breckenridge to Di Giorgio,” she said, describing the work as widening the road, adding sidewalks and lighting and noting construction was expected to begin after bidding.

Sal Gomez, assistant public works director, said the county is working on the design for San Jose Avenue in Delano and is coordinating with utility companies. He also said the department will investigate intersections that residents flagged for safety improvements and consider flashing beacons or other measures where warranted.

Residents from La Colonia and Arvin described frequent accidents and poor sight lines in fog or rain and asked for immediate safety fixes. “We are requesting additional funding to support the road construction of Lamont. These roads are a priority for us because our children walk these streets and [are] subject to other hazards,” Elizabeth Machuca said.

The board did not take a formal vote on specific project funding during the meeting; staff indicated some work is already in design and that the Wheat Patch Highway contract will proceed through the county’s bidding process.

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What happens next: Public works staff said they will continue design work on listed streets, investigate requested safety measures, and coordinate with supervisors on budget priorities; the Wheat Patch Highway contract will go to bid.