By Sara Beth Williams–
A new AMPM ARCO gas station and accompanying Sonic Drive-In on the corner of Roseville Road and Antelope Road are now open for business.
Banners wave in the wind in front of new driveway entrances to the gas station and Sonic Drive-In. The project also included constructing new sidewalks and landscaping along the corner, where there was once only a bike lane.
The large corner lot was a vacant field for years before construction activity began.
The complete project included the construction of a convenience store and adjacent Sonic restaurant, gas station canopy and eight pumps, six Drive-In parking spots for Sonic, as well as updates to the street in front of the businesses.
A new dedicated right-hand turn lane has been added, without a median, and a third lane has also been added to accommodate the high volume of traffic that crosses the intersection daily.
The northeastern corner lot is located at Roseville Pointe, a portion of unincorporated Sacramento County that was previously under consideration for annexation by the city of Citrus Heights. Potential annexation would expand the borders of Citrus Heights to include the lot at the corner of Antelope Road and Roseville Road, as well as a strip of nearby homes located along Roseville Road.
An annexation study completed in 2022 and 2023 found that annexing Roseville Point would result in a negative financial impact to the city and plans to move forward were set aside.
The border of Citrus Heights ends at Antelope Road and encompasses a business complex across the street on the opposite southeastern corner, which includes Starbucks, Subway, Jimboy’s Tacos, and other small businesses.
Inspire Brands, which owns Sonic Drive-In, also owns Arby’s, Baskin Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Jimmy John’s Sandwiches. The company lists 32,000 restaurants on their website.
