After completing California State Route 43 I doubled back north to Stockdale Highway to check out a major highway construction project which will eventually reroute CA 58; the Westside Parkway and Centennial Corridor.
Currently CA 58 multiplexes CA 99 through central Bakersfield and uses the Rosedale Highway to continue westbound. Eventually CA 58 will shift south off of the Rosedale Highway onto the Westside Parkway and Stockdale Highway once the Centennial Corridor is completed. The Westside Parkway has essentially been completed since 2015 aside from the Centennial Corridor. The Centennial Corridor is a 1 mile gap between the east end of the Westside Parkway and the current ramp junction of CA 58 and CA 99. At present moment 99% of land parcels required to finish the Centennial Corridor gap have been acquired and construction of rerouting sewers has recently begun. Information about the Centennial Corridor project can be found on the city of Bakersfield wesbite.
City of Bakersfield; Centennial Corridor Project
I drove the Westside Parkway on a eastern approach. This picture of CA 43 and the Stockdale Highway is looking northbound. CA 58 will traverse westbound straight ahead on CA 43 and eastbound on Stockdale Highway.
Once the Centennial Corridor is completed CA 58 will shift onto the Stockdale Highway and the city of Bakersfield will assume maintenance of the Rosedale Highway. The Stockdale Highway is a fairly decent roadway and does have one rail crossing along the future CA 58 alignment.
East of the rails the Stockdale Highway widens out and the signage for the Westside Parkway appears.
Stockdale Highway traffic is directed to turn right heading eastbound while the primary traffic lanes enter the Westside Parkway freeway grade.
Currently there is no route shields nor exit numbers on the Westside Parkway. I'm to understand that the mileage and exit numbers will follow what is posted on CA 58 east of CA 99. The Westside Parkway is nice and has some nice bridgework designs that kind of emulate mid-20th century California Divisions Highways designs.
The Caltrans project sign denotes the beginning of the Centennial Corridor project.
Currently traffic from the Westside Parkway is directed onto Truxtun Avenue which has no access to the current CA 99/58 freeway. Eventually traffic will continue southeast to the current CA 99/58 interchange. I actually had to use Oak Street and California Avenue to join the current freeway configuration of CA 99/58.
Currently CA 58 east of CA 99 in Bakersfield is being reconstructed as well. It doesn't seem at this time that there will be a freeway or expressway configuration continuing west to I-5 any time soon. The CA 58 corridor has been a popular one for far flung projections about a western extension of I-40. Personally I think with the Centennial Project and the recently built Hinkley Bypass that CA 58 ought to be adequate to handle traffic from I-15 to CA 99. Really the only place I see as an issue is Kramer Junction at US 395 where a bypass route or expressway configuration has been needed for decades.
Currently CA 58 multiplexes CA 99 through central Bakersfield and uses the Rosedale Highway to continue westbound. Eventually CA 58 will shift south off of the Rosedale Highway onto the Westside Parkway and Stockdale Highway once the Centennial Corridor is completed. The Westside Parkway has essentially been completed since 2015 aside from the Centennial Corridor. The Centennial Corridor is a 1 mile gap between the east end of the Westside Parkway and the current ramp junction of CA 58 and CA 99. At present moment 99% of land parcels required to finish the Centennial Corridor gap have been acquired and construction of rerouting sewers has recently begun. Information about the Centennial Corridor project can be found on the city of Bakersfield wesbite.
City of Bakersfield; Centennial Corridor Project
I drove the Westside Parkway on a eastern approach. This picture of CA 43 and the Stockdale Highway is looking northbound. CA 58 will traverse westbound straight ahead on CA 43 and eastbound on Stockdale Highway.
Once the Centennial Corridor is completed CA 58 will shift onto the Stockdale Highway and the city of Bakersfield will assume maintenance of the Rosedale Highway. The Stockdale Highway is a fairly decent roadway and does have one rail crossing along the future CA 58 alignment.
East of the rails the Stockdale Highway widens out and the signage for the Westside Parkway appears.
Stockdale Highway traffic is directed to turn right heading eastbound while the primary traffic lanes enter the Westside Parkway freeway grade.
Currently there is no route shields nor exit numbers on the Westside Parkway. I'm to understand that the mileage and exit numbers will follow what is posted on CA 58 east of CA 99. The Westside Parkway is nice and has some nice bridgework designs that kind of emulate mid-20th century California Divisions Highways designs.
The Caltrans project sign denotes the beginning of the Centennial Corridor project.
Currently traffic from the Westside Parkway is directed onto Truxtun Avenue which has no access to the current CA 99/58 freeway. Eventually traffic will continue southeast to the current CA 99/58 interchange. I actually had to use Oak Street and California Avenue to join the current freeway configuration of CA 99/58.
Currently CA 58 east of CA 99 in Bakersfield is being reconstructed as well. It doesn't seem at this time that there will be a freeway or expressway configuration continuing west to I-5 any time soon. The CA 58 corridor has been a popular one for far flung projections about a western extension of I-40. Personally I think with the Centennial Project and the recently built Hinkley Bypass that CA 58 ought to be adequate to handle traffic from I-15 to CA 99. Really the only place I see as an issue is Kramer Junction at US 395 where a bypass route or expressway configuration has been needed for decades.
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