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[Not RR] Bakersfield freeway project
Author: Apologies to Bob No. 2
Date: 06-05-2017 - 21:01
I am reading a little bit about this new $630 million "Centennial Corridor" freeway project in Bakersfield that is about to be built. It is a 1.5 mile link between CA State Route 58 to the Westside Parkway. The bigger picture is that someday it will be part of a continuous freeway from I-5 to I-15.
A big negative to me is that it requires demolition of a nice residential area in the city, including old craftsman homes that had architectural value. A freeway generally also makes a neighborhood less valuable as it brings in filth, grit, garbage, ugliness, pollution, noise, not to mention homeless people camping under overpasses, 7-11 stores, etc!
So here's my thought of what might have been:
Instead of ruining more of the city, why didn't they build a CA58 bypass around the north end of Bakersfield? The bypass could leave CA58 at Edison on the east side of town and head north. Then it could go NE of Oil City, go N of the airport, cross Route 99 at Saco, then shoot straight west to I-5. Might have worked?
Homes saved. City character saved. Airport gets a freeway. Everyone happy!
A big negative to me is that it requires demolition of a nice residential area in the city, including old craftsman homes that had architectural value. A freeway generally also makes a neighborhood less valuable as it brings in filth, grit, garbage, ugliness, pollution, noise, not to mention homeless people camping under overpasses, 7-11 stores, etc!
So here's my thought of what might have been:
Instead of ruining more of the city, why didn't they build a CA58 bypass around the north end of Bakersfield? The bypass could leave CA58 at Edison on the east side of town and head north. Then it could go NE of Oil City, go N of the airport, cross Route 99 at Saco, then shoot straight west to I-5. Might have worked?
Homes saved. City character saved. Airport gets a freeway. Everyone happy!
[Not RR] Bakersfield freeway project