Artist rendering shows the planned first interchange of the Placer Parkway, looking west from Highway 65 toward Foothills Boulevard. The Placer County Board of Supervisors awarded a $61 million contract to Teichert to begin construction on a 1½-mile stretch of the eventual 15-mile expressway linking Lincoln to Highway 99 and 70 in Sutter County.
County of Placer
Placer County Supervisors have approved a $61.6 million construction contract to move forward with the Placer Parkway project, a long-planned expressway designed to improve regional traffic flow.
The first phase, a 1½-mile span, will upgrade the Highway 65 and Whitney Ranch Parkway interchange with ramp improvements and a widened six-lane overcrossing. It also includes widening Whitney Ranch Parkway to six lanes, adding a four-lane roadway connecting Highway 65 to Foothills Boulevard, and building a grade-separated crossing over Union Pacific Railroad tracks.
The project also includes installation of major waterlines in partnership with the Placer County Water Agency.
Construction is expected to begin this summer. The contract was awarded to Roseville-based contractor Teichert, the lowest responsive bidder.
Board of Supervisors Chair Shanti Landon, who represents western Placer County, said the expressway is an investment in the region’s future.
“Awarding this contract moves us from planning to construction and brings us closer to relieving congestion, improving safety and supporting economic growth in western Placer County,” she said.
Funding comes from South Placer Regional Transportation Authority fees, contributions from the United Auburn Indian Community, Placer County Water Agency funds and county general fund advances that will be repaid by future authority fees, according to Placer County officials.
In a news release, Placer County said the financing would be repaid through future development fees. Phase 1 of the project is estimated at $90 million.
Placer County officials said the remaining $28 million not part of the construction contract would go to pay for right-of-way acquisition, environmental permits, a design consultant contract, relocation of PG&E power lines, county staff time and construction management.
The Placer Parkway project has been studied by state and local transportation agencies since the 1980s, with earlier concepts dating back to the late 1950s. At full buildout, the roughly 15-mile expressway is expected to connect Highway 65 near Thunder Valley Casino Resort to highways 70 and 99 near Sankey Road in southern Sutter County — intended to improve access to the Interstate 5 corridor, downtown Sacramento and Sacramento International Airport.
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Nicole Buss is The Sacramento Bee’s Roseville/Placer County watchdog reporter. She previously covered Placer County at Gold Country Media. Buss grew up in Lincoln and is a graduate of Sierra College and Arizona State University.