California is advancing $540 million in state funding for transportation projects statewide, including large bridge repairs, transit upgrades and storm recovery.
The California Transportation Commission approved the funding package, which includes $117.8 million for Bay Bridge protection upgrades, nearly $70 million for weather-related highway repairs and additional funding for transit, pedestrian safety and roadway improvement projects.
The Bay Bridge project will replace the fender system that absorbs impact in the event of a ship collision.
Weather-related work includes repairs to culverts, embankments and medians damaged by erosion in Imperial County, erosion stabilization work in Los Angeles County and continued storm-damage and mudslide restoration efforts in Santa Barbara County and Lebec.
Pedestrian safety projects include $6.7 million for sidewalk improvements in Long Beach and another $555,000 for walking and biking routes in Visalia and San Bernardino.
Among the larger allocations was $56 million for the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry project in San Diego County, including $36 million for border-crossing technology systems and $20 million for early construction work involving vehicle lanes, drainage facilities, earthwork, paving and temporary state and federal facilities.
The CTC also approved $53 million to complete a communication-based train control system for BART. Officials said the upgrade will allow more frequent train service and increase system capacity by more than 200,000 riders per day as the Bay Area prepares for major events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
One-third of the funding package comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. While this allocation includes $152 million in IIJA funding, the federal law has provided California approximately $16.7 billion for roads, bridges, rail systems, airports, public transit, EV charging stations, ports and waterways since its enactment.
Additional funding comes from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, the State Highway Account and the state’s General Fund.
Photo by Daniel Semenov from Pexels
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