Construction Begins on $71 Million Highway 99 Interchange at Caldwell Avenue in Visalia

Work has officially started on a major overhaul of the Caldwell Avenue Interchange along Highway 99 in Visalia. Caltrans District 6 officials and local leaders gathered Friday for a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the milestone.

The project carries a price tag of more than $71 million and took over 25 years to move from concept to construction. Officials said the upgrades are meant to ease traffic congestion, make the roadway safer and improve access across Highway 99.

Planned features include roundabouts at the ramp intersections, new overcrossing structures and auxiliary lanes.

Michael Navarro, director of District 6, credited cooperation among multiple agencies and funding sources for getting the project to this stage. "We have amazing partnerships with TCAG, Tulare County, City of Visalia, so multiple partnerships to get to this point and multiple funding sources like Measure R, federal funds, state dollars," Navarro said.

Navarro also said the design marks a first for the district. "This will be the first interchange in our district in the valley where we embrace roundabouts as traffic control in each ramp intersection that will improve safety and operations," he said.

Tulare County Supervisor Dennis Townsend said the long timeline reflects sustained effort by local leaders and community partners. "The good news is that everybody collaborated that whole time even before some people here were born, people were working on it. Before I was in office, people were working on it," Townsend said.

Townsend added that the interchange is expected to bring economic benefits to nearby communities. "You will be bringing people from the west side or center, bringing them east into those communities like Farmersville and Exeter," he said.

Officials expect construction to be finished in summer 2028.