Capital Connector project underway to connect Folsom to Elk Grove

Dignitaries from the federal, state and local level gathered last Wednesday to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the Capital SouthEast Connector project as construction of the Folsom area segment gets underway. The Capital SouthEast Connector (the Connector) will ultimately become a 34-mile expressway that will fill a critical gap by connecting Interstate 5 and State Route 99 south of Elk Grove to Highway 50, just east of El Dorado Hills. As construction activity gets underway on the Folsom segment of the project, spanning Prairie City and East Bidwell Street, it is also underway at two other locations: Kammerer Road, between Bruceville Road and Lotz Parkway in Elk Grove, and far west segment of Grant Line Road, between Waterman Road and Bradshaw Road. The newest phase of construction on the southern side of Folsom consists of four lanes and a bridge over Alder Creek, which will result in a new alignment of White Rock Road adjacent and immediately south of its existing location. The project is referred to as the D3 segment of the Capital SouthEast Connector.The city of Folsom is managing construction for this project on behalf of the Capital SouthEast Joint Powers Authority and in collaboration with Sacramento County. "I am proud to stand with local leaders in my district in support of this critically important investment in Sacramento's infrastructure," said Congressman Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove). "The Capital SouthEast Connector will drive economic recovery at a time when we need it most, improve the safety of our roads and provide important congestion relief for our region."The Capital Southeast Connector Project has, to date, been funded primarily through a Sacramento County sales tax measure approved in 2004 by 75 percent of voters. A previous survey of voters showed more than 80 percent of voters want the tax revenue specifically spent on upgrading roads to maintain safe emergency response times.Construction funding was secured by the Joint Powers Authority totaling more than $25 million through grants from the state when it was ranked the No. 1 funding priority by the Sacramento Transportation Authority in 2018. "Our success to leverage local funds to secure large construction grants speaks to the benefit of regional collaboration and partnerships," said Derek Minnema, executive director of the Capital SouthEast Connector Joint Powers Authority.The 34-mile Capital Southeast Connector is a regionally multimodal transportation corridor that is designed to reduce congestion and travel time, improve air quality along congested corridors, improve safety, provide essential all-weather emergency access, foster economic development, and the Connector's multi-use trail will provide health and recreation benefits.Included in the General Plans for Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Folsom, Sacramento County and El Dorado County is a consensus that the project is a vital part of the region's future transportation system.The current roadway, which includes a long and narrow Grantline Road, has had a long share of accidents. During the initial study for the project, it was noted that the passageway had more than 500 documented accidents and numerous fatalities.When it comes to the project ahead, safety will be one of the biggest improvements on the route. This will be accomplished by converting existing rural roadway segments to a modern expressway, separating roadway travel lanes with a landscaped median, and separating bicycles and pedestrians from vehicular travel with a multi-use trail. Once completed, the expressway's design is expected to reduce the amount of collisions by more than 40 percent, according to statistics detailed by Capital Southeast Connector JPA.According to additional data, it is expected that once the connector is completed, it will reduce congested roadway travel by some 38-million miles per year and result in more than 500,000 fewer hours per year of time spent sitting in traffic. When it comes to the trail aspect of the project, a separated 12-foot-wide non-motorized paved multi-use path is planned to be located within the 200-foot right-of-way for the connector. This path will provide safe and convenient access and connectivity to the residential areas, job centers, transit, and other bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the area. These benefits were monetized and based on the increase in ridership and forecasted for growth well beyond the year of completion.