MADERA COUNTY, Calif. — Residents of a Madera County neighborhood are voicing their dissatisfaction with a high-speed rail construction project that has drastically altered their community's environment.

For the past year, construction of a vehicle overpass, a key component of the California High-Speed Rail project, has left homeowners like Dalia Pena facing significant changes to their surroundings.

"I don't know why they thought it was ever okay for them to build so close to our home knowing what comes with the construction," Pena shared, referring to her residence on the 26,000 block of Wayside Way, just north of Madera.

Ken Whalen, who has lived across the street from Pena for 24 years, expressed concern over the potential effects on property values and privacy. "I'm worried about the value of my home. Probably more than anything just the noise. Our fear is you have no privacy in your backyard cause of the height that it is," Whalen remarked.

Rocio Gomez, a nearby resident who lives just four doors down, voiced her frustrations about the noise and dust. "My daughter actually started getting asthma after the construction got started. They're not able to go in the backyard, which is something hard to explain to a child why they can't go to the backyard," Gomez explained.

The Road 26 grade separation, which is a 636-foot-long and 68-foot-wide structure, is designed to facilitate vehicle traffic over both the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and future high-speed rail lines. The construction has sparked concerns regarding its proximity to residents and the impact on their daily lives.

Despite claims from homeowners that they were not adequately warned, the High-Speed Rail Authority maintains that community meetings were conducted at Berenda School in December 2023, as well as in February and March 2024.

Pena reflected on the disruptive effects of the construction, stating, "When they were drilling the entire house would shake. It was so loud I couldn't hold a conversation on the phone."

In response, the High-Speed Rail Authority mentioned that they are working closely with Pena to address her concerns and mitigate the immediate impacts. Surveyors have recently verified that the structure is just seven feet from her property line.

Whalen expressed doubts about whether any meaningful solutions would be reached, especially worried about a possible forced buyout of his property. "My fear if this gets really out of control they come and buy you out. If that devalues the price of my home I lose money. I don't believe that is fair," Whalen explained.

However, the High-Speed Rail Authority assured that no forced buyouts are being considered, stating that they have already purchased 2,272 of the 2,290 parcels needed for the 119-mile construction stretch. The authority also clarified that it can only legally acquire land necessary for the project.

"They just expect us to sell. We're not going to get market value if we sell the home because who's gonna want to move into this," Pena added, voicing concerns about the potential loss of value in her property.

The Road 26 grade separation is projected to be completed by this fall, according to the High-Speed Rail Authority. Nonetheless, for the homeowners in this Madera County neighborhood, the westward view has already been permanently altered.