By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights City Council approved an $11 million construction contract for accessibility and drainage improvements ahead of planned roadway resurfacing work in 2026 and 2027,
The annually occurring project was approved unanimously by four councilmembers as part of the consent calendar. Consent calendar items are voted on as a block unless a councilmember selects one to be pulled for discussion and a separate vote. Councilmember Jayna Karpinski-Costa was absent from the Oct. 14 meeting.
The project includes curb ramp construction, sidewalk repairs, storm drain upgrades and roadway pavement repairs, along with pedestrian safety improvements at two intersections in the city.
The City Council unanimously approved a contract with Ghilotti Brothers Inc., whose base bid of $11 million. Including two additional curb ramp projects and a 15 percent contingency, the estimated total for the project cost could reach $12.79 million.
The 2026 and 2027 Accessibility and Drainage Project includes construction of 240 accessible curb ramps, repairs to 28,900 square feet of sidewalk and 3,500 linear feet of curb and gutter, and installation, reconstruction or relocation of 45 storm drain structures.
The project also includes replacing 3,365 linear feet of deteriorated storm drainpipe, crack sealing 49 roadways and completing 354,500 square feet of asphalt dig-out repairs.
Additional improvements are planned along Greenback Lane between Mariposa Avenue and Birdcage Drive, where the existing fence will be removed and the existing median reconstructed, and the installation of a pedestrian crosswalk and signal phase on the west leg of the Greenback Lane and Birdcage Drive intersection.
At Auburn Boulevard and Carriage Drive, the project will incorporate improvements identified in the city’s adopted Carriage Drive-Lauppe Lane Safe Schools Corridor Plan, including, two ADA compliant extensions, widening the sidewalk on the north side of Auburn Boulevard between Carriage Drive and Sylvan Middle School, installing a raised median on the east leg of Auburn Boulevard and adding a pedestrian crosswalk and signal phase on the west leg of the intersection.
The project also includes two potential additives, with added cost, of curb ramp installations outside the main planned resurfacing areas. Three ramps are proposed at Dunmore Avenue and Shadow Oak Drive, near the entrance to Brooktree Park, and two ramps are proposed at Mariposa Avenue and Grace Ellen Court, along a designated Safe Route to School.
Central Valley Engineering & Asphalt Inc. initially submitted a lower bid but subsequently requested permission to withdraw it, citing clerical errors in its calculations. The company notified the city within five working days of the bid opening, as required under state law.
According to the staff report, the company said its bid included several errors, including the use of private wages instead of prevailing wages, an incorrect calculation of traffic control costs, omitted trucking costs related to storm drain removal and improperly distributed overhead expenses.
The staff report states that the withdrawal would not affect the project schedule because the next-lowest responsive bidder was prepared to proceed.
Funding comes through several sources, including $813,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds, $250,000 in stormwater utility funds, $1.74 million in Measure A maintenance funds, $5.37 million in General Fund capital funds, $532,000 in gas tax funds, $3.65 million from the state Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account and a $433,351 contribution from Sacramento County.
The project continues the city’s practice of completing accessibility and drainage improvements before resurfacing streets each year. The city approved a Three-Year Pavement Restoration Plan for 2025-2027, in December 2023, the city’s website states. Proactive repairs and improvements are designed to address drainage infrastructure, sidewalk and curb ramp accessibility, pavement conditions and other identified transportation needs before new pavement is installed.
Separating the accessibility and drainage work from the resurfacing contract allows the city to conduct more detailed cost analysis, use contractors with specialized expertise and reduce contractor markup costs, according to the staff report.
Read more about the city’s pavement maintenance program on their website.
