District: District 3 - Marysville
Contact: Raquel Borrayo
Phone: (530) 701-5209
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Auburn – Caltrans is announcing the start of construction on a new safety improvement project on State Route 49 (SR-49) in Auburn.
Beginning Monday, October 24, construction crews will start work on a $9.9 million roadway project that will improve a quarter-mile segment of SR-49 near Lincoln Way and Borland Avenue in south Auburn. The project will realign two reversing curves to improve sight distance and safety by reducing the sharpness of each curve. Additionally, the existing traffic signal at the Lincoln Way/Borland Avenue intersection will be replaced with a roundabout to improve safety and traffic flow.
“These improvements are designed to reduce the number and severity of collisions from motorists and large trucks failing to navigate the sharp curves,” said Caltrans District 3 Director Amarjeet S. Benipal. “This project will make it safer for the 10,000 vehicles and 450 commercial trucks that navigate this segment of highway daily.”
SR-49 also is a gateway to the American River Canyon and numerous area recreational activities in Auburn and Placer County.
“The existing traffic signal no longer meets the operational needs of residents and area visitors,” said Auburn City Manager John W. Donlevy Jr. “The improvements at this location with the new roundabout will increase safety for our residents and visitors by addressing the increases in traffic queues and blind curves leading to a busy intersection. This project will keep traffic moving, reduce incidents and make the visit into the American River Canyon safer.”
This safety project is the second of three Auburn-area projects that will improve the SR-49 corridor in Placer County. In spring 2022, Caltrans completed a $47.4 million roadway improvement and complete streets project between the Interstate 80 separation and Dry Creek Road that widened shoulders, added sidewalks and new traffic signals and rehabilitated the roadway. A $26.7 million safety project is in development to add a median concrete barrier on SR-49 between Lorenson Road and Lone Star Road in North Auburn, with roundabouts providing operational improvements at the two intersections.
“These projects are critical for the continued safety of Placer County residents and visitors,” said Placer County District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. “We are pleased to see that our roads and infrastructure are being updated to current standards, especially in some of our more rural areas.”
Lamon Construction Co., Inc. of Yuba City is the prime contractor for the upcoming safety project, with completion anticipated in fall 2023. Motorists should expect overnight one-way traffic control between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Friday during construction. Occasional Saturday work may be required. The schedule is subject to change based on weather, equipment or material availability or other unexpected events.
Caltrans District 3 is responsible for maintaining and operating 4,385 lane miles in 11 Sacramento Valley and Northern Sierra counties. For project updates, follow Caltrans District 3 on Twitter @CaltransDist3 and on Facebook at CaltransDistrict3. For real-time traffic, click on Caltrans' Quickmap or download the QuickMap app from the App Store or Google Play.
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