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Caltrans District 6 updates projects; Keene SR‑58 truck-climbing lane at 30% design as officials warn of traffic impacts
Summary
Caltrans District 6 staff told the Transportation Planning Policy Committee that the Keene segment of State Route 58 — the planned pavement rehabilitation and truck-climbing-lane work — is at roughly 30% design and that construction timing may shift into 2027, prompting concern about traffic impacts.
Caltrans District 6 staff briefed the Transportation Planning Policy Committee on a series of regional projects and said the Keene section of State Route 58 — which includes pavement repair and planned truck-climbing lanes — is at about 30% design and faces scheduling changes that could push construction into 2027.
“Currently, the Keene pavement project is at 30% design, and we anticipate advertising in June 2026,” Caltrans staff said in the district report, while also noting that follow-up project timing could place construction in 2027. The presentation covered multiple projects, including the State Route 46/State Route 43 roundabout (in design), the State Route 99 southbound-to-westbound connector ramp (design kickoff complete), and several rehabilitation projects on SR‑58 and other routes.
District 6 staff also announced a leadership change: District Director Diana Gomez retired on Dec. 26 and Harpreet Benning is serving as interim director, the briefing said. Staff reported ongoing Clean California projects — including bus-shelter installations in Taft and Lake Isabella and work in Arvin, McFarland and Delano — and public outreach dates for a comprehensive SR‑99 multimodal plan scheduled this winter.
Committee members pressed for more precise traffic-impact modeling tied to the Keene work. Caltrans and local officials said they used cameras and traffic-volume measurements during a recent SR‑58 study and will process the results; one Caltrans staffer said the raw footage must be analyzed to produce delay estimates. Officials scheduled a multi-party update meeting for Jan. 31 and said they would present simulations and estimated delays there.
Several local officials stressed concern about prolonged single-lane configurations. One council member said a proposed 18-month single-lane scenario would be unacceptable for regional freight and commuter traffic; Caltrans staff described a plan that, in earlier briefings, used westbound lanes to support alternating traffic for a shorter construction window and said detailed timing will be available at the next technical meeting.
No final construction award or start date was approved at the meeting. Committee members requested that Caltrans provide traffic-delay estimates and staging plans at the Jan. 31 meeting so local governments, emergency services and major freight stakeholders can prepare.
