California Eminent Domain Report

San Bernardino currently has over a dozen overpass or underpass projects planned throughout the county.  Last month, officials had planned to move forward with condemnation proceedings for one such project, the $20 million Hunts Lane overpass located at the Colton-San Bernardino city line. 

But according to a Riverside Press-Enterprise article, "Hunts Lane overpass causes some concern," nearby property owners voiced concern over the railroad grade separation project's impacts to their businesses, such as blocking access and destroying visibility.  As a result, officials have delayed a decision to begin acquiring the necessary property by eminent domain, perhaps in an effort to better understand the project's impacts on nearby property owners and businesses.  

Putting off the condemnation proceedings may just be delaying the inevitable, as officials believe that separating cars on Hunts Lane from the Union Pacific Railroad tracks is crucial to relieving traffic congestion in the area south of Interstate 10.  Construction could begin later this year, and is expected to take around 18 months.