Project Details

A map showing the project's location, with an inset map showing the project location in vicinity to the surrounding region in Kern county.

Project Purpose and Need Statement:

Purpose:

The purpose of the project is to:

Restore and extend the service life of the pavement to a condition that will require minimal maintenance.
Upgrade existing highway features to current standards.
Improve operations.

Increase and improve access and connectivity for multiple modes of transportation.

Need:

Address Pavement Needs

The stretch of State Route 14 from post miles R12.6 to 16.7 has exceeded its useful lifespan, and the pavement is deteriorating. Extensive damage to the road surface is contributing to poor ride quality and requires continual maintenance. According to the 2020 Automated Pavement Condition Survey, the pavement conditions within the project are in fair to poor condition and will continue to degrade over time if not addressed.

Upgrade Highway Elements

Existing guardrail throughout the project limits is obsolete and needs to be replaced with the standard Midwest Guardrail System railing.
Existing bridge rails on northbound Bridge 50-0402R at post mile 15.4 are non-standard and must be reconstructed to meet current standards.
Existing concrete barrier end blocks on southbound Bridge 50-0402L at post mile 15.4 will need to be replaced to connect to standard transition railing.
The bridge deck on the Oak Creek overcrossing (Bridge 50-049) is cracking and needs repair.
Several culverts within the project limits lie within the clear recovery zone and need to be extended.

Existing pavement delineation and signs do not meet current standards for material type and reflectivity and require replacement to meet current standards.

Improve Operations

Intersections within the project limits do not allow for smooth traffic flow. The intersection at Purdy Avenue and State Route 14 does not provide adequate distance for vehicles to accelerate when merging onto State Route 14, and the addition of increased traffic as a result of proposed commercial development is anticipated to further compromise traffic operations at this location. The south intersection at State Route 14 and Business Route 58 does not provide adequate room for large tractor-trailers to turn off and onto State Route 14. The north intersection of State Route 14 and Business Route 58 allows vehicles to make the “free right” turn at a higher rate of speed, thereby increasing the potential for collisions involving pedestrians or cyclists.

Improve Accessibility for All Modes of Transportation

The project extends through a commercial part of Mojave and serves a variety of businesses, including restaurants, hotels, gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores and other community services. The sidewalk and curb ramps within the project limits do not meet current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. There are multiple gaps between sidewalks, and portions of the existing sidewalk facilities are failing. The current sidewalk conditions within the project limits do not allow for continuous pedestrian travel though the commercial center of Mojave.

Project Description:

The project proposes to address multiple Caltrans facilities on State Route 14, from post miles R12.6 to 16.7, within and directly adjacent to the community of Mojave in Kern County.

The project would rehabilitate four travel lanes of State Route 14 (two southbound and two northbound) and the center median turn lane to improve ride quality, extend the service life of the facility and reduce maintenance needs. The project would also make intersection improvements; improve drainage; upgrade guardrail; improve existing sidewalks and construct new sidewalks where there are gaps; upgrade curb ramps and driveways; improve three bridges (Bridge 50-0402R, Bridge 50-0402L, and Bridge 50-049); and install new pavement markings, stripes and rumble strips to meet current standards.

Under consideration for the project are a Build Alternative—with two pavement strategies using continually reinforced concrete pavement with a design option for using hot mix asphalt for the proposed pavement—and a No-Build Alternative. The following facilities will be addressed regardless of which pavement strategy is selected:

Pedestrian Facilities Upgrades

Existing pedestrian facilities on State Route 14 in the community of Mojave would be upgraded to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. New sidewalks would be constructed where sidewalks are missing, or existing sidewalks would be reconstructed where conditions are poor to create continuous access along the northbound shoulder through Mojave from post miles R15.91 to 16.35. A portion of new sidewalk would intersect with an at-grade crossing of the Union Pacific Railroad line (at post mile L17.06) and would be constructed to allow train and pedestrian traffic. Additional work would replace approximately 19 curb ramps and 15 driveways that do not comply with current Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

Drainage Systems Improvements

Existing culverts within the project limits are within the clear recovery area, which is defined as 20 feet of reasonably flat area beyond the edge of the pavement that maintains safety in the roadway shoulder area (Highway Design Manual, Section 309.1). Any culvert that is within the clear recovery zone would be extended so that the culvert outlet is beyond 20 feet from the edge of the pavement. Table 2 shows a list of culverts that would be extended. Each of the culverts would require installation of flared end sections to convey flows, dissipate energy and reduce erosion at the culvert outlets. Temporary construction easements would be required to construct the culvert extensions, but no permanent right-of-way would be required.

A new drainage easement is proposed at post mile R15.95 on the east side of the roadway to allow construction of a drainage pipe from the roadway edge to connect to an existing drainage channel. A maintenance agreement with Kern County to use the County’s existing easement will allow construction of a channel to promote flow away from the outlet of the drainage system. The channel is anticipated to be a shallow V-ditch about 20 feet wide. Existing vegetation within the easement area would be removed to construct the ditch.

Bridge Improvements

Three bridges within the project limits require improvements: Bridge 50-0402R, Bridge 50-0402L, and Bridge 50-049.

Bridge 50-0402R: On northbound State Route 14 at post mile 15.4, where the roadway passes over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The existing bridge overhang would be removed and then reconstructed with an integrated concrete barrier railing and chain link railing. This work is anticipated to be performed from the existing bridge.

Bridge 50-0402L: On southbound State Route 14 at post mile 15.4 where the roadway passes over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. This bridge would require replacement of the existing concrete barrier end transitions to allow for connection to standard transition railing off the bridge.

Bridges 50-0402R and 50-0402L have existing safety shape on the median retaining wall on the north end of the bridges that would be replaced with a current standard safety shape.

Bridge 50-049: At the Oak Creek overcrossing, at post mile L16.866 on State Route 14. Improvements at this bridge include repairing the deck for cracks in the concrete by applying a methacrylate seal, a resin-like substance used to seal cracks in concrete bridge decks.

Guardrail Upgrades

Existing segments of guardrail within the project limits consist of non-standard metal beam guardrail. The non-standard guardrail would be replaced with the Midwest guardrail system to meet current standards. Table 3 shows the locations where guardrail would be replaced.

Intersection Improvements

The project would reconfigure three intersections within the project limits and add lighting to a fourth intersection.

The south junction of State Route 14 with Business Route 58 would be reconfigured to improve operations for longer-wheel-base trucks making right turns on the northbound lane and expand capacity due to increased auto and truck traffic on Business Route 58.

The north junction of State Route 14 with Business Route 58 would be reconfigured to reduce traffic conflicts and improve intersection operation.

As part of the intersection improvements, existing traffic signals and associated controller cabinets would be relocated or upgraded to current standards. Relocation of traffic signal components would be within the Caltrans right-of-way.

The intersection of State Route 14 and Purdy Avenue is the third intersection requiring improvements. This intersection would receive a southbound acceleration lane, which would require widening into the median.

The fourth intersection to be improved is the intersection of Camelot Boulevard and State Route 14, where intersection lights would be installed within the right-of-way in the outside shoulder.

Intersection improvements include the following:

The south intersection of State Route 14 with Business Route 58 would be restriped to allow for more capacity for turns in the intersection. By reconfiguring the striping for traffic on Business Route 58 turning south onto State Route 14 and removing a portion of the pedestrian island, the project would provide more room in the intersection to enable more vehicles to turn. Reconfiguring the striping and replacing one of the right-turn lanes with a left-turn lane will provide more capacity for the number of cars lined up to turn. The work would generally consist of restriping the existing intersection, but a portion of the median island would be removed as well; because of the reconfiguration, the existing traffic signals would be relocated. No new right-of-way would be required for the reconfiguration.
The north intersection of State Route 14 with Business Route 58 would not be realigned. However, the existing “free right” turn would be removed, and stop control would be placed on the northbound right-turn movement. This change would eliminate conflicts between vehicles making the “free right” turn and southbound Business Route 58 vehicles turning left onto northbound State Route 14. This would also eliminate conflicts with bicycles passing through the intersection on northbound Business Route 58. This improvement would require full removal of the existing median island and relocation of one existing traffic signal.

The median crossover at Purdy Avenue would be reconfigured to accommodate pending development on Purdy Avenue. A southbound acceleration lane would be constructed, and additional widening of the crossover may be required to allow for truck movements.

Build Alternative:

The Build Alternative would rehabilitate four travel lanes of State Route 14 (two southbound and two northbound) and the center median turn lane. The work would also make intersection improvements, upgrade curb ramps and driveways, and install new pavement markings, stripes and rumble strips to meet current standards. This alternative would improve existing sidewalks and construct new sidewalks where there are gaps, improve drainage, improve three bridges, and upgrade guardrail within the project limits.

No-Build (No Action) Alternative:

The No-Build Alternative would maintain the facility in its current condition and would not make any of the improvements proposed in the Build Alternative. Therefore, the No-Build Alternative would not meet the purpose and need of the proposed project. The pavement would continue to deteriorate, and ride quality would continue to worsen. Pedestrian facilities and accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act would not be improved. Intersection operations would continue to decline, and highway elements (bridges, drainage, guardrail) would remain non-standard. Maintenance needs would increase as the road continues to deteriorate.