Transportation advocates, construction workers, and community leaders joined last Friday to celebrate the groundbreaking of the third and final phase of the “Roseville Bottleneck” widening project. 

The event honored the working men and women who helped make this project a reality.

Officially known as the I-80 Capacity and Operational Improvements Project – Phase 3, this phase of the expansion will add auxiliary lanes and carpool lanes on both eastbound and westbound sides of I-80 from just west of Miners Ravine to just east of Highway 65, approximately 2.2 miles in length.

The cost for the project was estimated at $49.4 million, but with the low bid that came in from Flatiron Construction, Inc., the total cost is now $33.9 million - resulting in more than $15 million in savings.

“The Interstate-80 ex-pansion project is one of the region’s most critical transportation improvement priorities, and breaking ground for the final phase is significant for the region.” Placer County Transportation Planning Agency Chair Keith Nesbitt said. “Continued improvements to I-80 as well as construction of the Lincoln bypass and I-80 Sierra College interchange illustrate the tremendous accomplishments made possible by a team that includes federal, state and local officials.”

Phase 1 was completed three months early in August 2007. Phase 2 of the project has been under construction since May 2008 and upon completion will add eastbound and westbound carpool and auxiliary lanes from the Placer County line to Eureka Road along with improvements at the Auburn/River-side boulevards Douglas Boulevard and Atlan-tic/Eureka roads interchanges.

“Placer County has been tremendously successful competing for its share of the infrastructure bond funds,” California Transportation Commission Commissioner Jim Earp said. “The team from PCTPA, Caltrans District 3, the city of Roseville, and Placer County has shown that this investment was well placed by taking that infrastructure bond money and putting it to work quickly and cost effectively. The result is safer road conditions, less commute time and better air quality for this growing region.”

The Bottleneck occurs on Interstate 80 between the Sacramento/Placer County border and SR 65, where the road narrows from five lanes to three lanes in both directions.

The total project cost, for all three phases of the expansion, is $89.3 million and was funded through a combination of federal, state and local funding.

At one time, the cost estimate for the project was as high as $210 million, but with innovative approaches and a more competitive bidding environment, the estimate has been reduced considerably.

Phases 1, 2, and 3 are fully funded through a combination of Federal earmarks, State transportation infrastructure bond funding and local development fees.

~ Staff report