Caltrans briefs Kern COG on staffing changes, ITIP timing and project updates across the county

Caltrans representatives gave the Kern COG board an update on staffing and a long list of active and upcoming projects across Kern County, and flagged scheduling issues tied to rail coordination and utility work.

The District 6 representative told the board that several staffing changes are imminent, including the retirement of John Liu, deputy for maintenance and operations, and the reassignment of system planning staff. "The CMCP has been published, it's on our webpage, and it is complete," the District 6 representative said about the 99 Corridor Management Plan that the agency has been developing.

Caltrans noted schedule items and project status: a guardrail/bridge-rail replacement north of the Kern River is still finalizing design with construction expected in December (weather permitting); the Wasco pedestrian beacon project was awarded with construction expected by the end of the month or in December; the 46 and 43 intersection improvements are scheduled for early 2026 but face a delayed start because of railroad and utility coordination; the 99-to-westbound-58 connector ramp has milestones (95% review scheduled for January) and baseline-agreement paperwork submitted for the December CTC meeting; and the Bakersfield Freeway Connector (the 5899 interchange) is in punch-list work with an expected 2026 completion.

District 9 representative Jill Tognazzini reported district staffing changes and new in-house EV charger repair capacity for the Boron area. She described storm-related damage and maintenance priorities in Eastern Kern, including an overlay separation near Ridgecrest that is not a sinkhole and an 80-inch culvert in Cameron Canyon that clogged with debris and caused lane closures earlier in the storm cycle.

Board members pressed Caltrans on project boundaries (for example, Stockdale Highway/58 segments and the limits of a capital-maintenance project) and on the Cameron Canyon recurring closures. One board member observed that the Cameron Canyon location has closed multiple times in the last decade and suggested federal BUILD grant funds might be a funding source for a larger fix.

Caltrans staff said they will continue coordination with local agencies and the COG on right-of-way, utility issues and timing, and will include more project-limit details in future updates.