Road closure in Central Fresno for High-Speed Rail Project

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Residents in Central Fresno expressed concern after the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced a road closure that will significantly impact traffic.

Regional Director Toni Tinoco says crews will begin construction on a bridge project that will close parts of McKinley Avenue in July.

"It's a huge project that we have to do. It's a lot of benefits for the community. You have your safety aspect. You don't have to wait for that train anymore when those rail crossings go down. As far as the air quality, you don't see idling cars anymore waiting for the train to go by," said Tinoco.

She said McKinley will be closed between Highway 99 and West Avenue.

This picture shows what the bridge will look like once it's complete.

One resident, who didn't want to be on camera, told Action News that she has lived off of West near McKinley for almost 30 years. She's disappointed.

"It's crazy. I don't like losing that access. For me, it's convenient," said the neighbor.

She's concerned it's a project that will never be complete.

A sentiment many share. The project has been under construction for a decade -- and it could be another decade before we can ride a train between Merced and Bakersfield.

Tinoco said she hears those concerns. She wants to assure people they are doing their best to work fast through the project.

"This is a mega project. It's never been done in the United States before. It's a large project. There are many other countries that have had high-speed rail for decades; the United States has not had a system like this, so we're starting from square one," said Tinoco.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority officials said they are working closely with the city of Fresno to make sure people aren't left confused on the road.

"Oftentimes, High-Speed Rail wants to close more roads simultaneously, and we won't allow for that. And in fact, many of our discussions are around, before you close a certain road, that you open up another one," said Mayor Jerry Dyer.

The McKinley closure will begin July 8th. You can expect it to be closed until July of next year.

For those who want more information or want to express concerns, there is a community meeting at Addams Elementary School at 6 pm on Thursday.

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