Portion of Downtown Fresno to be closed off for 2 years during high-speed rail construction

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- People driving through Downtown Fresno are about to see more construction and detour signs. It's because a major thoroughfare that runs through China Town will soon be shut down for an extended period of time.

Beginning on June, Tulare Street between F and H Streets will be closed to make room for high-speed rail.

"That will be closed for about two years, so Tulare and G Street," Toni Tinoco with the High Speed Rail Authority said. "G Street will be closed eventually - that's work for an underpass. We have to build a bridge over Tulare Street right next to G Street."

Traffic will eventually flow beneath the existing Union Pacific Railroad Lines and the high-speed rail.

"The existing rail crossings for U.P., we will be eliminating those so cars will go underneath those railroad tracks, high-speed rail and up," Tinoco explained.

But not every business owner in the area is happy about a construction project that is scheduled to take two years to be completed

"They're really going to hurt us and kill us down here," business owner Rosie Torres said.

Torres has owned and operated her flower shop in the area for the past 12 years, and she's fearful of the road closure.

"For us, it's a big impact because a lot of our foot traffic or people that come patronize are from downtown," she said. "They come down here to eat or come grab a bouquet."

But without the convenience of Tulare Street running into China Town, business owners like Rosie are fearful business will dry up.

"There's so much construction because of the Fulton Mall area that's being revitalized as well," Torres said. "They get detoured, they get lost, and they just say, 'I'm not going to go after all.'"