For years going from east to west in Bakersfield has been a major ordeal. The State Route 58 freeway for decades has hit a dead-end where it meets Highway 99. Travelers on the highway have been force to take the surface streets of Rosedale Highway to continue traveling on SR 58. That soon could change though, as the Centennial Corridor Freeway project aims to connect SR 58 from Highway 99 to the new Westside Parkway freeway, which already exists north of the Kern River. The project is slated to begin construction in a few months.
But there are challenges. The neighborhood of West Park lies in the way, with dozens of homes either in the path of the future freeway or adjacent to the planned structure. Those homes are in Ward 2, which is represented by new Bakersfield City Council Member Andrae Gonzales, who joined us to talk about the latest progress on the project on Valley Edition.
