Will Sacramento’s Sunday farmers market move back under the freeway or stay at Arden Fair?

After The Bee reported the Sacramento Antique Faire could possibly return to its original location beneath Highway 50 by November, readers began to question the Sunday Certified Farmers’ Market’s construction timeline, too.

Bee reader Gin Yang reached out to The Bee’s service journalism team curious if the market will ever make it back to the freeway because he heard chatter that it “may be staying permanently at Arden Fair.”

Dan Best, the Sacramento Certified Farmers’ Market program coordinator, was quick to negate the rumors around the Sunday Certified Farmers’ Market, temporarily operating at the Arden Fair Mall in Arden Arcade.

“The Sunday Certified Farmers’ Market that is temporarily located at Arden Fair Mall is still intentioned and committed to move back to its historical location once construction and reconstruction is completed,” he said in an email to The Bee.

Residents could be shopping the market underneath the freeway by November. And others could be doing the same in Arden Arcade.

Best said there’s a possibility of a permanent Saturday or Sunday market at Arden Fair mall once the Sunday Certified Farmers’ Market moves back underneath Highway 50 at W and 8th streets.

The date the market can move back underneath the freeway depends on both when the workers above the space are done and the construction equipment is moved, said spokeswoman Angela DaPrato with the California Department of Transportation in an email to The Bee.

“Caltrans’ goal is to complete the work as soon as possible,” she said. “But the work needs to be done correctly and sometimes materials are not available or crews are not able to perform some tasks due to weather (like days that are 100 degrees).”

The more than $400 million years-long construction project of Highway 50, which stretches from the Interstate 5 Interchange to Watt Avenue, pushed out residents’ weekend spots in March 2021 including the Sacramento Antiuqe Faire at 21st and X streets, in an effort to reduce traffic congestion, improve mobility and repair lanes.

A new Highway 50 will include new high-occupancy vehicle and carpool lanes, widened ramps and bridges and improved over crossings and freeway pavement. This project also includes an expansion to Sacramento Regional Transit District’s light rail from Sunrise Boulevard to downtown Folsom.

Construction is scheduled to be completed by 2025, but the market could get the green light to move back underneath the highway after Thanksgiving.

This story was originally published August 27, 2022 at 5:00 AM.