WELDON, Calif. (KERO) — Residents of the Kern River Valley have said that Sierra Way is an important evacuation route for the community, but it’s been closed since March of 2023 when high water in the South Fork of the Kern River washed a portion of the road away.
- Repair work started to re-open Sierra Way started in July and is projected to be completed in November
- Sierra Way has been closed since March, 2023
- The cost of fixing this road is 3.2 million dollars
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
After roughly six weeks of construction, Sierra Way is starting to look like a road again.
“So we are on schedule even though during the Borel Fire we had a few days that we lost but we have been able to make up for that time.” said Salvador Gomez the Transportation Assistant Director for Kern County Public works.
Gomez says that the road is still on track to be completed by the original project date - the second week in November.
“We have poured the bottom of the box culvert,” Gomez said.
Gomez says they are rebuilding it to have great protection against flooding, which includes expanding the rock protection wall that helps prevent erosion and installing wider culverts
“This is built for a ten year flood.”
Gomez says Kern County eventually plans to update the road so it can stand a one hundred year flood, but there is currently no timeline, design, or cost associated with that project.
Gomez says they are working to open Sierra Way as soon as possible.
“We know the urgency of it, so hopefully we can deliver it sooner than expected.”
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
