ENR West Snapshot | November 2025: A Grade Separation Project in Montebello, California
Photographer: Keith Chong, AECOM
Submitted By: Stephanie Infranco, Communications Manager & Outreach Liaison, OHLA USA
The grade separation project in Montebello, Calif., aims to eliminate conflicts between roadway and rail traffic by lowering Montebello Boulevard beneath the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.
Earlier this year, crews with OHLA USA performing the work prepared the curb, gutter and sidewalk along the route in anticipation of laying new pavement.
The activities captured by AECOM’s Keith Chong using an DJI Air 3 drone with a 48MP wide-angle camera and a 48MP medium telecamera show the installation of CIDH piles, a process expected to continue for about nine months.
Key milestones have already been achieved, including the completion of a temporary shoofly bridge to maintain rail operations during construction and successful jack-and-bore tunneling to relocate utilities with minimal surface disruptions.
