The Sacramento County Department of Transportation is dedicated to providing a safe and efficient transportation system that achieves community mobility for citizens, businesses and industry within Sacramento County.

The proposed project which is located in the North Highlands/Foothill Farms Area, between Don Julio Boulevard and Diablo Drive, will widen Elkhorn Boulevard from the current four lanes (two lanes in each direction) to six traffic lanes (three lanes in each direction) with a center landscaped median, sidewalks and class II bicycle lanes in each direction. The improvements include placement of rubberized asphalt concrete, construction of a soundwall, installation of new curbs, gutters and sidewalks, including wheelchair ramps to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, installation of traffic signal at the intersections on Elkhorn Boulevard at Hillsdale Boulevard, Andrea Boulevard and the modification of traffic signal at Elkhorn Boulevard/Don Julio Boulevard. 

The project also includes widening of the bridge across the Union Pacific Railroad to accommodate six lanes of through traffic with a raised landscaped median, two 7-foot wide bicycle lanes and two 5-foot wide raised side walks.

The project will provide additional roadway capacity to ease existing and projected traffic congestion and improve roadway, bicycle and pedestrian safety.

Right-of-way has been acquired from several properties to allow for the proposed wider roadway and a limited shift in the centerline alignment. Temporary construction easements have also been obtained for the construction of the sound walls located on some areas along the project. 

Sacramento County General Plan (SCGP) designates Elkhorn Boulevard as a Thoroughfare (six lanes, 110' right-of-way) Transportation Corridor with a Feeder Line Network (express service to trunk lines); Greenback Lane is designated as Trunk Line Network per SCGP. The proposed project is consistent with this designation. 

Land use in the area consists of residential, limited commercial, business and professional and shopping center. The area is relatively urbanized comprising RD-5 (residential density 5), RD-20, and SC (shopping center and gas station closer to I-80).

Vegetation in the area typically consists of ornamental trees and shrubs intermixed with open areas dominated by weedy annual species. Also present are a number of native oak trees. 

The proposed project is needed to provide additional roadway capacity. Although, currently, the subject portion of the roadway is not highly congested, traffic projections indicate that traffic volumes will increase by about 40% by year 2010 due to intensification of traffic volumes associated with through traffic demand and the development in the area.

The project is a sequel to the Greenback Lane/Elkhorn Boulevard I-80 Interchange Project. A traffic study (August,1997) has been prepared for the "Greenback Lane/Elkhorn Blvd. I-80 Interchange Project" by CCS Planning and Engineering, Inc. and is included in Initial Study/Environmental Assessment (May, 1999) for the project. The recommended lane geometrics for Elkhorn Blvd. based on 2010 and 2015 traffic conditions would be three through lanes in each direction. 

The funding for this project is from Measure "A" Sales Tax and State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

The Upper Northwest Interceptor Section 7 (UNWI 7) and this project were bided and awarded as a single construction project. The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD) and Sacramento County Department of Transportation (SACDOT) have combined public outreach efforts for these individual construction projects to reduce costs and present a seamless, coordinated project to the neighboring homes and businesses.

Construction will begin in early August 2003 and would be completed in late Fall of 2004. 

With a few exceptions, through-traffic will be maintained on roads during construction. While work may sometimes affect adjacent areas by temporarily restricting access, construction crews will make every effort to limit these impacts.

Construction will typically be performed between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. At night, construction trenches will be plated where necessary to maintain open lanes and ensure safety. 

Conventional traffic controls, such as temporary lane closures, cones and signs, will be used to ensure the safety of motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

Construction for the Elkhorn Boulevard Widening project between Watt Avenue and Don Julio Boulevard will take place in the near future.