By Sara Beth Williams–
The city is hosting a community workshop on its new “Gateway Activation Project” on Tuesday, April 29, share about the project and hear thoughts from residents. The April 29 workshop will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Big Oak Mobile Home Park.
The Gateway Activation Project was introduced in 2024 and impacts residents near Old Auburn Road and Wachtel Way. The intersection borders both Roseville and Orangevale.
The project will implement multi-modal and roadway improvements along Old Auburn Road and Wachtel Way with the goal of providing connection to future facilities proposed by adjacent municipalities, including the City of Roseville and Sacramento County.
Planned improvements listed on the project page on the city’s website include:
- Bicycle/pedestrian improvements along Wachtel Way, extending from just south of Pitalo Way at Arcade-Cripple Creek Trail to Old Auburn Road. Three alternatives will be evaluated.
- Bicycle/pedestrian improvements along Old Auburn Road extending from Auburn Oaks Village Lane on the west to the Placer County line on the east. Two alternatives will be evaluated.
- Pedestrian crossing and safety improvements will also be added at Old Auburn Road and Argo Drive.
- Extension of multi-modal facilities on Old Auburn Road to the city’s northern border and on Wachtel Way to the Old Auburn Road intersection
According to the city’s website, the city will also evaluate and identify improvements in order to “facilitate traffic safety” through the closely spaced intersections of Oakwood Hills Circle, Wachtel Way, and Oakwood Hills Circle at Linda Creek Court by addressing the interaction between the three intersections and the difficulty in making the left turn from Oakwood Hills Circle onto Old Auburn Road.
“Community outreach and engagement will be vital for this effort,” the city said on their website, adding that teams have prepared an engagement plan, including an outreach toolkit, several pop-up events, and two scheduled workshops. The city also said it will maintain project updates on its website.
The goal of this contract is to get as close to “shovel ready” as possible to be competitive for state and federal funds for final design and construction costs.
In 2022, $700,000 in funding was appropriated through then-Assemblymember Kevin Cooley’s office. These funds were specifically allocated by the state for the Gateway Activation Project and are restricted for that use only, the city confirmed. In September 2024, the City Council awarded a contract to Dokken Engineering to support pre-construction activities for an amount not to exceed $685,062. According to project updates from the city, traffic studies, environmental clearance, utility coordination, engagement, and right-of-way acquisition are currently underway.
“The goal of this contract [with Dokken Engineering] is to get as close to ‘shovel ready” as possible to be competitive for state and federal funds for final design and construction costs,” the city said in an email last week.
Project approval and environmental review are expected to be completed in spring 2026. Construction plans, specifications, and estimates are scheduled to be completed in early 2028, with construction set for spring 2028 pending the acquisition of enough funding.
The next community workshop for the project will be held April 29 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Big Oak Mobile Home Park, located at 8300 Old Auburn Road.
The city is hosting a community workshop on the Gateway Activation Project on Tuesday, April 29, to share about the project and hear thoughts from residents...
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