Passenger Trains > Brightline West construction on I-15

Last weekend (7/18-20) we went to Las Vegas from So. Cal. 

Just outside the Vegas city limits I saw a few workers in the median of I-15. (Geological testing for Brightline)?

On our way back home, we passed by the Las Vegas station site on the south side of the city. It looked like there were doing some basic grading
(there was some construction equipment and a water sprinkler truck for dust control)

While caught in traffic south of Victorville, I noticed that the median had been surrounded by barriers, and what almost looked like ballast had been placed there.
Since traffic was a near standstill, I snapped a couple of pix...

Is this Brightline work, or something else?

 

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Just a note for those nay sayers who like to drive...I refer to the line "while traffic was at a standstill"   And this was in Victorville, not even in the LA Basin.
I predict this train will do very well.  Its only 60 years overdue..

The Victorville construction has been going for a couple years now. It started before Brightline West was even announced.

Are we even sure this construction is for the Brightline West Project? 
 

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

GP25 Wrote:
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> Are we even sure this construction is for the
> Brightline West Project? 
>  

They were scheduled to start this summer and they are running the tracks in the median. Looks like it to me.

Hallelujah. A real high speed train in America. Can’t wait to ride it.

Posted from iPhone

They said "ready by 2028 for the L.A. Olympics."  That will be a challenge.

Jonny_Chi Wrote:
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> GP25 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Are we even sure this construction is for the
> > Brightline West Project? 
> >  
>
> They were scheduled to start this summer and they
> are running the tracks in the median. Looks like
> it to me.
>
> Hallelujah. A real high speed train in America.
> Can’t wait to ride it.
>
> Posted from iPhone

As someone who has been putting up with this construction a couple of years now, no it's not part of Brightline West.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jonny_Chi Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > GP25 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Are we even sure this construction is for the
> > > Brightline West Project? 
> > >  
> >
> > They were scheduled to start this summer and
> they
> > are running the tracks in the median. Looks
> like
> > it to me.
> >
> > Hallelujah. A real high speed train in America.
> > Can’t wait to ride it.
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
> As someone who has been putting up with this
> construction a couple of years now, no it's not
> part of Brightline West.
Any idea what it is?

coach Wrote:
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> They said "ready by 2028 for the L.A. Olympics."
>  That will be a challenge.

I believe Brightline West has already given up on achieving that goal.

Jonny_Chi Wrote:
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> > As someone who has been putting up with this
> > construction a couple of years now, no it's not
> > part of Brightline West.
> Any idea what it is?

I don't know, but perhaps on this Caltrans interactive map:

Caltrans Map

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jonny_Chi Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > As someone who has been putting up with this
> > > construction a couple of years now, no it's
> not
> > > part of Brightline West.
> > Any idea what it is?
>
> I don't know, but perhaps on this Caltrans
> interactive map:
>
> Caltrans Map

I'd guess HOV lanes to deal with the 5 am southbound rush hour.

masterphots Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ts1457 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Jonny_Chi Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > > As someone who has been putting up with
> this
> > > > construction a couple of years now, no it's
> > not
> > > > part of Brightline West.
> > > Any idea what it is?
> >
> > I don't know, but perhaps on this Caltrans
> > interactive map:
> >
> > Caltrans Map
>
> I'd guess HOV lanes to deal with the 5 am
> southbound rush hour.

There is a pretty good commute from the Apple Valley/Victorville area to the Inland Empire, read cheap housing, and the freeway has been beat to death by all the trucks it carries.
So it's getting much needed repairs plus they're adding another lane plus an HOV lane too.

Another boondoggle.  This will not happen.  Las Vegas toursim is down 25% now...and will get worse.  Brightline is taking the govt for a ride.  Won't be profitable and so will ditched.  

coach Wrote:
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> They said "ready by 2028 for the L.A. Olympics."
>  That will be a challenge.

How embassing will it be for California and for public project affacianados when Brightline West is operating say 4 years from now and California HSR still won't have laid a foot of track after 20 years?