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Caltrans gives timeline updates on 99 corridor, truck climbing lanes and local projects
Summary
Caltrans and District 9 staff briefed the Kern COG board on funding deadlines, grant opportunities and multiple project timelines across Kern County, including the 99 Corridor Multimodal Corridor Plan, truck climbing lanes, and local pedestrian beacon and rehab projects.
Caltrans staff provided project and planning updates to the Kern Council of Governments, covering the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act timeline, forthcoming grant workshops, and several local construction and design milestones across Kern County.
A Caltrans representative told the board that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IJA) funding authorization runs through fiscal 2026 and that agency outreach is under way for reauthorization. Staff highlighted a Caltrans/CalSTA reauthorization and transportation funding sub-workgroup meeting scheduled for Nov. 18 from 3 to 4 p.m. and noted a Caltrans webinar and resources on recent DBE interim final rules are available online. Caltrans staff also said the 2026 draft Interregional Transportation Improvement Program (ITIP) was expected imminently and that related public workshops and the STPG (Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant) application deadline is Nov. 21.
District 9 planning manager Jill said the 99 Corridor Multimodal Corridor Plan (CMCP) is nearing completion, with about 95% design anticipated in December; rights-of-way offers for a separate truck-climbing-lanes project have been extended and half accepted, with negotiations ongoing. Jill reported the project is on track for a ready-to-list (RTL) milestone in June 2026 and anticipated construction in 2027. "We are progressing towards 95% design completion," Jill said, and Caltrans plans a presentation on staging to Kern COG staff after a contractor is on board.
Caltrans updates included a shortlist of local projects and their timing: a Wasco pedestrian beacon slated for council award Oct. 21 with construction expected in November; State Route intersection improvements advertising for construction in December; Bakersfield Freeway Connector expected to finish this fall; a Delano rehabilitation project targeting 2026 construction; a Seventh Standard Road roundabout anticipated to advertise in 2026 with right-to-list in December 2025; and multiple pavement rehabilitation projects with staggered completion dates into 2026 and 2027. Staff also flagged some ADA ramp noncompliance issues on one project under punch-list review and said PG&E coordination remains a schedule dependency for several local jobs.
Board members asked about right-of-way negotiations for the truck climbing lanes; Jill said half of offers have been accepted and the remainder are in negotiation and that staff do not anticipate major hiccups. Kern COG staff Rob thanked District 9 for accommodating local concerns on Ridgecrest drainage and for incorporating Kern COG’s comments into the 99 CMCP.
Why it matters
Caltrans’ schedules and federal grant deadlines will affect when and how local projects proceed in Kern County, and the board said coordination will be important where multiple projects will overlap — for example, a large repaving of Highway 99 in the same area where other construction and corridor-management work are planned.
Next steps
Caltrans will continue outreach on the ITIP and STPG grants, hold the Nov. 18 sub-workgroup meeting on reauthorization, and coordinate a more detailed staging presentation to Kern COG staff following contractor procurement for the truck climbing lanes.
