The completion celebration of a high-speed rail bridge by the California state government has sparked intense scrutiny. The project, which has consumed over 11 billion US Dollars in taxpayer funds and took nine years to build, is drawing widespread criticism for its apparent lack of progress and functionality.
Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, and Billy Markus, the creator of Dogecoin, joined the chorus of voices ridiculing the California High-Speed Rail Authority for heralding the completion of the "Fresno River Viaduct" – a mere fraction of the ambitious bullet train project aiming to link San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Musk expressed his disappointment with a sad, crying emoji on X, suggesting the project's possible cancellation. Meanwhile, Markus sarcastically hailed the viaduct as "the most remarkable human achievement ever," highlighting the irony of spending billions on a rail segment covering a distance easily traversable on foot in minutes.
The exorbitant cost of the project, encompassing the bridge and associated infrastructure for the initial phase between Bakersfield and Merced, has raised eyebrows. Critics pointed out the viaduct's isolated existence, unconnected at either end, as emblematic of the larger issues plaguing the entire endeavor.
In response to the rail authority's claim of the viaduct as a milestone, Markus derided the reported estimate of the project's total cost, suggesting it could take centuries and unimaginable sums to complete at the current rate.
Venture capitalist Patrick Blumenthal echoed these sentiments, urging the authority to reconsider its self-congratulation in light of the meager progress made over the years. With just 0.3 miles completed after 15 years and billions spent, the project's exorbitant cost per mile is a stark reminder of its inefficiency and mismanagement.
