Tomorrow, Fresno Superior Court could slam the brakes on a controversial $140 million highway widening in South Fresno, when Fresno Superior Court hears Friends of Calwa, Inc. v. Caltrans and the Federal Highway Administration.
The $140 million project, announced in February 2023, would rebuild the American Avenue and North Avenue interchanges, converting them from partial to full interchanges and more directly connecting Highway 99 to local roads serving the small communities of Calwa and Malaga. Plaintiffs argue the project violates state (CEQA) and federal (NEPA) environmental laws because agencies failed to disclose how the expansion would increase truck traffic, worsening air quality and harming public health. Caltrans argues, as it often does, that this highway expansion will reduce emissions, despite a long history suggesting otherwise.
When Caltrans first approached communities in southwest Fresno about the project, it was presented as a series of safety improvements at the interchanges. At public meetings residents pressed for bicycle and pedestrian safety features to be included, according to community members. The project Caltrans ultimately put forward, opponents say, bears little resemblance to what was originally pitched.
Instead of improving local safety, critics argue the project will increase truck access to residential neighborhoods and encourage additional warehousing and truck traffic. They note that the Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved a study of a massive 2,940-acre industrial park near the interchange at roughly the same time Caltrans was presenting the project as a safety upgrade. By excluding the proposed industrial park from its analysis, plaintiffs argue, Caltrans and federal agencies avoided studying how much additional traffic the expanded interchanges would generate.
The plaintiffs’ case is bolstered by a July Superior Court ruling that the City of Fresno violated state law by failing to consider increased truck traffic when approving a mega-warehouse for Costco in a whiter, more affluent area of North Fresno. The ruling paused that project so further study could be done.
“We want Caltrans to honor our lives and to honor our communities,” said Sandra Celedon, president and CEO of Building Healthy Communities Fresno, at a press conference on January 7.
Caltrans says the project is intended to modernize the interchanges, improve traffic operations, and reduce emissions on local roads, with construction planned from 2028 to 2031.
However, the lawsuit — filed by Friends of Calwa and Building Healthy Communities Fresno — alleges the project violates the California Environmental Quality Act by failing to adequately analyze impacts on nearby communities and sensitive receptors. Opponents also contend that plans quietly expanded from safety upgrades to lane widenings from two lanes to as many as six, intensifying fears of increased truck traffic and pollution.
History of Highway 99
The history of Highway 99 — from its construction to the current legal battle over its widening — is deeply rooted in structural racism.
In Dividing Lines, part of a comprehensive UCLA study examining the use of highway construction to divide and damage communities of color across California, researchers note that Highway 99 was promoted as an economic boon for the Central Valley, designed to provide easy access to large warehouses. For many readers, the produce in their kitchens likely passed through Fresno warehouses along this corridor.
Instead, the highway quickly proved devastating to nearby communities. Dividing Lines documents the immediate harm to West Fresno: “The consequences went beyond immediate destruction and displacement. Rather than revitalizing downtown as officials had hoped, the freeway accelerated white flight, furthered the decline of the urban core, and exacerbated disinvestment in West Fresno — legacies that persist today.”
While Streetsblog’s coverage of the UCLA report focused on other highway widening projects, Fresnoland later examined Highway 99’s specific history in greater depth.
Conditions have not improved in the decades since. Highway 99 continues to carry tens of thousands of truck trips daily through Fresno, including through the southwest neighborhoods now fighting the expansion. A 2021 study on air pollution health impacts found that residents living near the highway in south and southwest Fresno can have life expectancies up to 20 years shorter than those in northern parts of the city.
The History of the Lawsuit
Highway 99 CEQA Lawsuit Timeline
- March 2023: Friends of Calwa and Fresno Building Healthy Communities sued Caltrans and FHWA in federal court, alleging the Highway 99 interchange expansion violated CEQA and NEPA by failing to assess increased truck traffic, diesel emissions, and health risks.
- January 2024: The Biden Administration announces it will step in and evaluate the impacts of warehouse focused highway expansion in the area, which could impact the project's feasibility. The results of this study have not been announced, and given current federal guidelines may never be completed.
- Mid-2024: Plaintiffs filed CEQA claims separately in Fresno County Superior Court after Caltrans challenged federal jurisdiction; Caltrans sought dismissal as time-barred.
- October 2024: Superior Court dismissed CEQA claims on procedural grounds, pausing state-law issues but leaving federal claims active.
- March–April 2025: California Court of Appeal revived CEQA claims, requiring the trial court to allow plaintiffs to challenge Caltrans’ environmental review regarding diesel emissions, land-use changes, and cumulative health impacts. FHWA also requested federal reconsideration of air quality compliance.
- Currently: CEQA claims remain active in Fresno County Superior Court, with potential outcomes including new environmental studies, stronger mitigation measures, or revisions to Caltrans’ review processes for similar highway projects.
