City of Palmdale Secures $2,000,000 in Federal Funding to Advance Rancho Vista Boulevard Grade Separation

PALMDALE, CA – The City of Palmdale announced it has secured $2,000,000 in federal funding, sponsored by Representative George Whitesides, to advance the Rancho Vista Boulevard Grade Separation project.

This investment strengthens Palmdale’s ability to attract high-quality, mortgage-paying jobs that support operations at U.S. Air Force Plant 42, one of the region’s most important economic drivers and a critical federal facility home to Northrop Grumman, Lockheed and Boeing. With approximately 12,000 Californians currently working at Plant 42 and the workforce expected to grow to 16,000 as new work begins in the near term, improving access and traffic flow near this hub is essential to keeping Palmdale competitive for aerospace and defense investment.

“When we invest in the access and safety improvements that support Plant 42, we are investing in Palmdale’s economy and our residents’ quality of life,” said Mayor Eric Ohlsen. “This project helps open the door to more local opportunity, strengthens our position as a hub for aerospace and defense, and makes it easier for families to live and work right here in the Antelope Valley.”

The funding will support right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation, critical steps to move construction forward on the long-planned bridge-grade separation at the intersection of Rancho Vista Boulevard and Sierra Highway and the double-track crossing of Metrolink and Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Plans call for a six-lane grade separation, including access ramps to Sierra Highway, designed to enhance safety, reduce congestion, and improve traffic operations for vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians and trains.

“This is an enormous win for Palmdale residents and for the future of our city,” said Mayor Pro Tem Austin Bishop. “It brings us closer to a safer Rancho Vista Boulevard, less congestion, and a more reliable route for families and first responders, while strengthening the infrastructure that supports one of the region’s most important job centers.”

For Palmdale residents, the payoff will be less traffic and safer travel. The grade separation will mean the end of delays caused by rail activity, more predictable travel across town, and improved access through a corridor that serves neighborhoods, businesses and key routes used by first responders.

The project also includes features that support safer walking and biking, including a Class 2 bicycle facility and sidewalk improvements that close existing gaps.

For more information, contact Public Works at 661/267-5300 or visit www.CityofPalmdaleCA.gov/PublicWorks.