Fifth lane coming to Interstate 80 in Roseville and Rocklin. How long will construction take?

Construction on an expansion project for Interstate 80 — adding extra lanes to the traffic-plagued corridor in Roseville and Rocklin — broke ground Tuesday.

The project will build an auxiliary eastbound lane between Highway 65 and Rocklin Road, including a two-lane off-ramp at Rocklin Road. On the westbound highway, a fifth lane will be added between Douglas Boulevard and Riverside Avenue and the exit to Douglas Boulevard will be reduced from two lanes to one.

“The purpose of this project is to improve safety and improve traffic flow,” Caltrans District 3 said on its website.

The project was initiated to alleviate commuter traffic jams along the corridor that have worsened considerably as Roseville and surrounding areas have swelled with population growth.

Local officials from the Placer County Board of Supervisors; Assemblyman Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin; and Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the project Tuesday.

The construction will take at least a year to complete and cost $46 million.

This story was originally published August 2, 2023 at 1:54 PM.