Bakersfield council approves contract to complete seventh movement of Centennial Corridor connector

The Bakersfield City Council on Sept. 5 approved a construction contract to build the seventh movement of the Centennial Corridor connector, allowing eastbound Highway 58 traffic to connect to northbound Highway 99, after staff said revised Caltrans funding closed a $6 million shortfall and preserved time-sensitive grant and bid terms.

Interim Director Zach Meyer told the council the meeting was scheduled because the city was approaching a 60-day deadline to award construction after the bid opening and staff were on "day 58" of that requirement. Meyer said an initial review of bids showed a $6,000,000 shortfall for construction engineering and inspection services but that "as of September 3, we did get a revised documentation from Caltrans showing we have now $34.5 million in total dollars," which staff said covers construction and related services for the project.

Mr. Clegg, who introduced the item, described the work as the seventh movement of the interchange project and said only one additional movement remains in design. Meyer said there is a disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) issue documented in the administrative report; he did not itemize remedies in the meeting and referred members to the report for details.

Vice Mayor Gonzales praised staff for convening the special meeting and moved to approve the contract, saying the action would "save significant taxpayer dollars." The council approved the motion; the clerk announced the motion was approved with Councilmember Weir absent. The transcript does not include a numeric roll-call tally or a recorded second to the motion.

The contract award is intended to secure grant funds and lock in bid pricing, according to staff. The council took no other formal actions on the item at the meeting and adjourned at 12:06 p.m. One remaining movement of the interchange remains in design and will require separate review and approvals when brought forward.