City shares update on $23M plan to revitalize Auburn Boulevard corridor

Sentinel staff report–
An impressive $23 million in largely grant-funded improvements are planned for Auburn Boulevard, from Rusch Park to the Roseville border.

The second phase of a project known as the Auburn Boulevard Complete Streets project was initially slated to begin construction this year, but has faced delays with a new projected start date of early 2023.

In an update video interview broadcast by the city on Monday, City Engineer Leslie Blomquist called the project “one of, if not the highest priority project” for the city’s general services department. She said the project is meant to improve the street for “all users,” meaning pedestrians, bicyclists, vehicles, transit and other users.

City seeks input on new ‘gateway’ arch for Auburn Blvd

“We are fully funded,” said Blomquist, noting the project recently received the final $9 million grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), and previously had allocated $14 million in non-general funds, which included $8 million from prior grants.

The larger Auburn Boulevard project was approved in 2005, envisioning a revitalized and enhanced section of the boulevard, from Sylvan Corners to Interstate 80. The 1.75-mile project was broken up into two phases, with Phase 1 being completed in 2014 and Phase 2 in its final design phase.

Improvements for the second phase will be largely similar to the first phase, and will include repaving of the street. The first phase, from Sylvan Corners to Rusch Park, included undergrounding utility wires, adding new streetlights, planting over 200 street trees, and installing nearly 10,000 feet of bike lanes and sidewalks.

Scheduled construction of Auburn Boulevard Phase 2 involves more than 50 right-of-way land purchases by the city, which will enable the undergrounding of all public utilities along the boulevard. SMUD will be paying for the cost of undergrounding its utility lines.

During Monday’s broadcast, City Principal Civil Engineer Hunter Young provided an update on the city’s plan to add a “gateway” arch over the boulevard near the border with Roseville to welcome people to Citrus Heights and create an identity for the boulevard.

“It’s really something that puts us on the map,” he said, noting a goal of “making sure we stand out.”

The city is currently soliciting public feedback on the archway’s design through a new survey. Hunter said results will be presented to the City Council sometime next month, with a final decision on the design to be voted on by the council.

In anticipation of the Big Lots shopping center attracting more tenants, a signal is also proposed to be integrated in the gateway signage to assist with traffic flow in and out of the center.

The project will also include “driveway consolidation” for safety and traffic flow, similar to what was seen in the first phase.

Answering a common question about why the city doesn’t use the funding instead for repaving roads, Blomquist said the project is largely funded by outside grant money which can only be used for improvements on Auburn Boulevard. Staff have previously told The Sentinel that grant funding is rarely if ever available for road resurfacing, unless part of a larger project.

What’s next?
Hunter said the city anticipates spending “the better part of the next year” finalizing various aspects of the project, noting staff still need to conclude property acquisition.

“We anticipate construction starting somewhere in early 2023,” said Hunter. “So the next year-plus is going to be finalizing the overall project design and then we need to advertise and get contractors to bid on the job and make a recommendation to council as to who to hire.”

Final concept plan for Old Auburn Road projected to cost $15-25M

The city is also working on improving other corridors, included a plan for Old Auburn Road which could exceed $20 million, and improvements on San Juan Avenue.

Those interested in taking the city’s survey can do so at CH-info.net