Caltrans presents $70.2 million Highway 46 roundabout and rail-bridge project to Wasco City Council

Caltrans representative Shelley Maggard told the Wasco City Council that a planned Highway 46 safety and operations project will place a single-lane roundabout (designed so it can be reconfigured into two lanes later), replace a BNSF rail bridge and carry out utility relocations, drainage and retention work. "Construction capital is $70,200,000," Maggard said during the council meeting.

Maggard said the project scope includes relocations for utility providers (PG&E, SoCal Gas, AT&T, Charter and the local water authority), replacement of the BNSF rail bridge, lowering the roadway profile to provide a 16-foot 6-inch clearance beneath the new structure and building a new retention basin and pile wall. She said contractors will also create temporary shoo-fly track infrastructure to allow rail work.

On schedule, Maggard said utility relocations are expected to be completed around March 2026, construction is planned to begin in November 2026 and completion is estimated in October 2029. She warned that the work will include some night lane closures with flaggers, and limited full closures of State Route 46 for bridge demolition and girder erection. "There will also be full closure on the north side of 46 at F Street… and full closure at J Street as we build the roundabout in sections," she said.

Council members pressed for local details. Mayor Pro Tem Reyna asked whether F Street would be closed during the day; Maggard replied that portions of F Street will be closed during the day but contractors will try to minimize closures and maintain access for property owners and businesses. Reyna also asked whether bike lanes shown for the roundabout would be extended farther east and west along Highway 46; Maggard said the project will add a shared pathway and bike lanes within the project limits (F Street to J Street) and that she can follow up about plans beyond those limits. Reyna asked whether the underpass would be built to a future four-lane standard; Maggard said the structure is being built so it could be widened in the future but "at this time, it's not going to be striped for 4 lanes."

Maggard said Caltrans will coordinate public outreach, publish commuter alerts when closures are planned and maintain a PIO contact with the city. "When you have any issues or anything that's brought up, please reach out to me, and we'll do everything that we can to help with that," she said.

Next steps: utility relocations this fall and winter, construction procurement and a contractor mobilization window beginning in November 2026; Caltrans will provide updates to the council as schedules and closure plans firm up.