Local assemblyman joins Kettleman City residents, officials to announce new pedestrian bridge

Assemblyman Rudy Salas joined residents and community leaders this week to celebrate the acquisition of $2 million for the new pedestrian bridge. Salas managed to secure the funding in the 2021-2022 state budget for the bridge, which has always been a high priority for Kettleman City’s residents.

“I am proud to have championed this additional funding for Kings County,” said Salas, who joined local leaders and residents in Kettleman City.

“With the construction of the Kettleman City pedestrian bridge, our kids will be able to get to school safely, and parents will no longer have to worry about their children having to brave traffic so that they can get an education or access the local park. This critical public safety project will benefit the families and children in our community for generations to come,” said Salas.

Families in Kettleman City have been trying to get funding for a pedestrian bridge to cross Highway 41 for several years. Students attending Kettleman City Elementary school are forced to run across this busy highway to get to school. Much of the traffic, including large semi-trucks traveling at high speeds, often has difficulty yielding to pedestrian traffic. In fact, records from 2009 to 2014 from the California Highway Patrol show that this stretch of highway is one of the deadliest in the state.

"Safety is of the utmost importance for the students, parents, and community members of Kettleman City. The construction of this pedestrian bridge is an imperative transportation resource,” said Kristi Castillo, Principal of Kettleman City Elementary School. “We are deeply grateful to our district leadership, Supervisor Richard Valle, and Assemblyman Rudy Salas for their support and advocacy for the bridge and the needs of the Kettleman City community."