The California Transportation Commission is planning on adding to a several year-long improvement project on Highway 46. Our California eminent domain attorneys are gearing up for this new phase of the project. The next phase, dubbed Segment 4B of the State Route 46 Expressway Project began construction in 2018. Prior to construction CalTrans, in partnership with the Kern Council of Governments, has started the process to acquire properties this year.
HISTORY OF HIGHWAY 46
The Highway 46 Improvement Project has been around for quite some time due to the major improvements to be made in the districts of California. The first phase was a $36 million dollar project consisting of widening of Highway 46 East from Airport Road to Geneseo Road that began as early as 2008 and finished in 2011. The project continued with widening Highway 46 East from Geneseo Road to east of Almond Drive, as well as widening from east of Almond Drive to McMillan Canyon Road, and was completed in 2015. Construction has also begun this year for the widening of McMillan Canyon Road to the Shandon Roadside Rest Area.
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
The next phase of the Highway 46 Improvement Project, Segment 4B, is moving to District 6, which serves the Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera and Tulare Counties. The project serves to improve the Lost Hills area of California in both traffic operations and safety through road widenings. The project’s specific construction locations are from Brown Material Road to just east of Lost Hills Road. SR-46 will be widened and converted from a two lane conventional highway to a four lane conventional expressway. The $30 million project broke ground in spring of 2018, and properties in McFarland and Lost Hills have already been named in Resolutions of Necessity by the California Transportation Commission.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?
If you are a property owner in Kern County, specifically on Highway 46, Famoso Road, Warren Street, Aloma Street, or Powers Street in Lost Hills, California, your property has likely already been listed in a resolution of necessity. If you have been contacted by the California Transportation Commission or CalTrans for an initial offer to purchase your property, you are one of the owners affected by this specific project. If this is the case, we recommend you contact eminent domain attorneys and obtain counsel right away for settlement or eminent domain lawsuit representation. If you have not been contacted, but have property in Lost Hills, your property may be acquired for the project before the next phase. In this case, it’s imperative to stay up-to-date with the latest news on the SR-46 improvement project to see if your property will be affected.
WHAT CAN I DO?
The best thing you can do as a property owner is to seek counsel and obtain representation. Our attorneys at Century Law Group offer both, with an initial consultation for free. Our attorneys have handled eminent domain and inverse condemnation throughout California for several years, including successful cases in Kern County. Our California eminent domain attorneys understand the process that will help you achieve a fair settlement for your property, if you are a property owner in need of protection or counsel we encourage you to get in touch with us right away.