Easier road for Placer

Some Placer County roads will run more smoothly, thanks to $7.3 million in state transportation bond money aimed at local street improvements.

Nearly $1 billion, approved by voters last November as part of a package of infrastructure bonds, will be doled out to California cities and counties in two phases.

Auburn, Colfax, Lincoln, Loomis, Rocklin and Roseville are in line to receive $4.4 million in the first wave.

Since the amount cities receive is based on population, Roseville will receive the most -- $1.7 million in the first phase.

Director of Public Works Rob Jensen said Roseville plans to use its share to help expedite the $9 million Pleasant Grove Interchange project.

Plans call for widening the Pleasant Grove bridge over Highway 65 to three lanes in each direction and adding a new onramp from southbound Pleasant Grove to southbound Highway 65.

A stretch of Pleasant Grove Boulevard near the interchange also will be widened.

Funding for the project will come from traffic mitigation fees for widening Pleasant Grove Boulevard, and developer fees collected in Roseville and Rocklin specifically for funding certain interchanges along Highway 65.

"The (state bond) money will allow us to move forward next spring, which is ahead of schedule," Jensen said. "Once we get reimbursed for expediting the project, we'll re-use the money for resurfacing streets and other road improvements in the city."

Rocklin's initial $837,766 will be used to resurface sections of Stanford Ranch Road near Twin Oaks Park, the El Don neighborhood across from Sierra College and the Sierra Meadows area, said Public Works Operations Manager Michael Rock.

"We have a ton of projects that have been on the books for a while, so we will have no trouble spending the money, whatsoever," Rock said. "They're resurfacing projects that have been backlogged for a number of years."

Rock said crews will begin $2 million worth of resurfacing projects next summer.

The city's goal is to resurface roads every 10 years, but the current level of funding from state and federal gas taxes hasn't allowed Rocklin to meet that goal, according to Rock.

"We need about $3 million a year, and we get about $1.5 million," Rock said. "The gas tax just hasn't kept pace with the cost of living. One other thing unique to Placer County is that we do not have a local transportation sales tax."

Lincoln is repairing E Street in its older, downtown area, Mayor Kent Nakata said. The rest of Lincoln's initial $603,277 in bond money will pay for the construction of new Neighborhood Electric Vehicle lanes along Twelve Bridges Drive.

Neighborhood Electric Vehicles, or low-speed cars, resemble golf carts but under California law are allowed on regular streets with speed limits of 35 miles per hour.

Lincoln, which has received national recognition as a city that welcomes low-speed vehicles, also has special NEV lanes allowing these cars on the larger, faster thoroughfares.

"We want people to be able to use their NEVs to get on Twelve Bridges Drive and go to the medical centers and the new library," Nakata said. "Our biggest thing was making sure people could get to the library."

Under the infrastructure bond measure, every city will receive at least $400,000. Loomis and Colfax, the Placer County cities with the fewest number of residents, will each receive $400,000.

Loomis Director of Public Works Brian Fragiao said the money for his city will go to pavement and maintenance projects.

"Nowadays, with the prices the way they are, some of these roads are going to cost $800,000 to $1 million, so the $400,000 makes a little dent," Fragiao said.

Auburn will get $410,428, which will go to street maintenance, according to Public Works Director Jack Warren.

About the writer:

• The Bee's Jennifer K. Morita can be reached at (916) 773-7388 or jmorita@sacbee.com.