IMAGE SOURCE: GOOGLE MAPS
Sac city transportation officials will ask the City Council tonight to approve a construction contract for the I-5 and Del Paso Road interchange.
Plans for the project were triggered by development in North Natomas as part of the area’s community plan. The project is meant to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety at the interchange by installing new traffic signals at the off-ramps, widening the ramps and eliminating a high speed, “free” right turn lane at the northbound off-ramp. Ramp metering will also be installed at the southbound on- ramps to control traffic entering I-5 during the morning commute.
“This project is about improving safety for pedestrians and motorists who use this intersection. It is about making the necessary infrastructure improvements that we have promised North Natomas residents, and most important, it is about time,” said Councilmember Ray Tretheway.
NATOMAS BUZZ readers may recall more than one person has been hit by a car at the interchange; in one case the accident resulted in a fatality.
Curb ramps compliant with American with Disabilities Act requirements will be constructed at on-and off-ramps ramps. Pedestrian “islands” will be added to shorten the distance for pedestrians crossing the ramps. Street lights at the on-and off-ramps are also part of the project.
Caltrans owns the overpass, but it’s the city’s responsibility to maintain it. Design and construction will cost $3.93 million funded by the North Natomas Finance Plan. If approved, work will start in August and be completed by the end of the year.
It is about time! It may be an inconvenience for a while but I welcome the change with open arms.