A two-mile stretch of Highway 99 is set to move a couple hundred feet to the west to make way for High Speed Rail.
The problem is dozens of business owners will have to make way for the highway.
Some of the valley's oldest motels are on that stretch, like The Hacienda, which is now an assisted living facility.
There's also the Astro Motel, and the Royal Motel, which provides housing for parolees.
Pri Patel, Owner, Royal Motel: "It makes me nervous, the thought of relocating, finding a business to live with, or a new way of living."
Dakota Park Storage is also along that corridor. It opened up only five years ago, and currently has 300 renters.
Manager Terry Bennett is standing up for his business. He's helping out with a petition that would eliminate the high speed rail project altogether.
But what if the authority offered compensation?
Terry Bennett, Manager, Dakota Park Storage: "No, because you have to pay off the balance of what you owe, whatever business you've got and then at that particular time, what are you going to do?"
Fresno city council members are currently working to help the businesses along this stretch of highway that could be impacted.
A proposal on that could come at a council meeting next week.
High speed rail officials say they have offered compensation, and are working to mitigate the impacts to these businesses.
Dan Richard, Chairman, High Speed Rail Authority: "Anything that we can't mitigate, anything that we can't avoid, it's the legal responsibility for the high speed rail authority to give full compensation to business owners who would be affected."
The big question was, why not move the highway east instead?
The High Speed Rail Authority cites a conflict with the union pacific rail yard there. Officials also said it's cheaper to move it west.
CalTrans will be handling construction on the highway's rerouting. That could begin early next year.
The cost of this portion of the project has not yet been determined.
TXT 24
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