High-Speed Rail Not the Only Massive Public Works Project on the Chopping Block

"Gov. Gavin Newsom, diving into one of California’s most contentious water issues, said Tuesday he wants to downsize the Delta tunnels project," report Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow.

Governor Newsom made the announcement about his plans to reduce the size and scale of the California WaterFix project during his first state-of-the-state address, the same venue for a bombshell announcement about reconfiguring the California High-Speed Rail project.

"Newsom said he wants the twin-tunnel project — designed to re-engineer the troubled estuary that serves as the hub of California’s elaborate water-delivery system — reduced to a single tunnel," according to Kasler and Sabalow.

"The announcement likely means WaterFix would require a fresh set of environmental reviews before it can proceed, translating into additional delays for a project that’s been in the planning stage for more than a decade and will take an estimated 15 years to build."