With construction season now in full swing, you’ve likely noticed a lot of action at the interchange of Interstate 80 and state Route 65 – and possibly some delays there, too.

While it might be inconvenient now, the ongoing project to improve this interchange is critical to reducing traffic congestion in this increasingly busy corridor.

Now in its first phase of construction, the Interstate 80/State Route 65 Interchange Project is expected to bring relief to motorists that are stuck in the back-up on Interstate 80 by adding a third lane on Highway 65 from the I-80 interchange to Pleasant Grove Boulevard. Work is also underway to improve Highway 65’s Galleria and Stanford Ranch interchanges. That work is scheduled to be completed this year.

Improving the interchange is critical but it’s just one piece of addressing road congestion in this area of western Placer County. A second project to widen Highway 65 from where the current project will end at Pleasant Grove all the way to Lincoln Boulevard has already been approved, and the Placer County Transportation Agency is working now to design the project.

PCTPA is also working on a third project, the Interstate 80 Auxiliary Lanes Project, which will add extra lanes of traffic along Interstate 80 between Highway 65 and Rocklin Road eastbound and between Douglas Boulevard and Riverside Boulevard westbound. These extra lanes, or auxiliary lanes, between interchanges give drivers more time to merge in or out of traffic and allow for improved traffic flow and safer driving conditions.

We also need to take pressure off this primary route between Placer and greater Sacramento by adding alternate routes, and those are also in the works. Placer Parkway will eventually extend from Highway 65 to state Route 70/99 (improving access to downtown Sacramento and the airport), and more widening is planned for throughways like Baseline Road.

As you may imagine, these major infrastructure projects are among the most costly projects undertaken by public agencies, and a project of this magnitude that includes federal, state and local roadways is particularly costly. On the flipside, because the facilities involved are under the jurisdiction of several agencies there are more opportunities to secure funding from multiple sources. For example, Phase I of the Interchange project includes funding from Caltrans ($28.8 million), PCTPA Proposition 1B Freight Fund ($3.6 million), Highway 65 Joint Powers Authority Share ($6 million), and South Placer Regional Transportation Authority ($3 million).

State and Federal funding now requires almost a fifty-percent match which means a local funding source is needed to make Placer County competitive for receiving state and federal funding.   Ten years ago, state and federal government provided up to 90% of the funding for a project.  Former Congressman John Doolittle secured $71 million through federal transportation legislation for the Interstate 80 Widening project completed in 2011, which added eastbound and westbound auxiliary and carpool lanes between the Sacramento/Placer County line to just east of Highway 65. That project was completed on time and under budget, allowing PCTPA to earmark $8.6 million for the environmental review required for this phase of the project. The three projects I have mentioned require a much higher level of local funding or Placer County will be at a competitive disadvantage with other counties in California who have enacted self-help funding programs.

When you’re stuck in traffic, it’s little consolation that some of these improvements may still take years to complete. The reality is, projects like these can proceed only as fast as we’re able to secure funding. At the local level we’re pitching in our fair share, and also ensuring that developers in the region are as well. But the majority of the funds for these major infrastructure projects have historically come from the state and federal governments, and we’ll need their continued support, too.

Meanwhile, we continue to look at how we can improve the options for transportation through this part of the county, including bikeways, public transit and other means like carpooling and ride sharing. You can help us better understand what would work best for you by taking the short “More 80 Choices” survey here.

Thank you,

Jim Holmes Placer County Supervisor, District 3