Economic, environmental and safety benefits for California’s Capital Region

State-of-the-art transportation corridor connects Interstate 5 to Highways 99 and 50 through Sacramento and El Dorado Counties

$25M Grant
Approved

On July 17th, 2024 we celebrated a major milestone for our community as the United States Department of Transportation has approved a $25 million grant for the Capital SouthEast Connector project. This funding is a game-changer for Grant Line Road, paving the way for its transformation into a safer and more efficient expressway. With this grant, we’re set to tackle long-standing traffic issues and enhance safety by upgrading the current two-lane road to a modern expressway. This means smoother travels, reduced congestion, and fewer collision risks for everyone who relies on this vital route. Thank you to everyone involved in making this possible! Together, we’re shaping a better, safer future for our community.

Project Overview

Connecting the communities of Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Folsom and El Dorado Hills, the 34-mile SouthEast Connector Expressway is designed to improve road safety and shorten travel times in a congested part of the Sacramento area’s transportation system that is prone to accidents and flooding. The award-winning project’s first phase includes four lanes from Interstate 5 and Highway 99 in Elk Grove to the Silva Valley interchange at Highway 50 in El Dorado Hills, improved intersections at major access points, and a path for pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians along the entire corridor.

Improves
road safety

Shortens
travel times

Relieves
congestion

Reduces
bottlenecks

The Route

The 34-mile SouthEast Connector Expressway connects Interstate 5 to Highways 99 and 50 through Sacramento and El Dorado Counties.

Environmental Benefits

The SouthEast Connector Expressway reduces greenhouse gases, pollutant emissions, vehicle miles traveled, and regional congestion. It also is designed to preserve working farmland and the supply of locally grown food in Sacramento County, and through the South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan creates an interconnected preserve system to ensure the long-term viability of area plant and wildlife species plus rural ranching operations. 

Reduces emissions and greenhouse gasses

Reduces vehicle miles traveled

Preserves farmland

Creates interconnected preserve system

Economic & Financial Benefits

By safely connecting communities located east of Interstate 5 and Highway 99, and south of Highway 50, the SouthEast Connector Expressway will produce numerous economic and financial benefits, including:

  • Produce $1.8 billion of economic Output

  • Generate 11,300 new job-years over 2021-2030 period

  • Result in $770 million of new Labor Income

  • Yield $1.1 billion of new Value Added

  • Generate $80 million in new state and local Taxes on production and imports

To fully understand the total economic impact of the Connector once it is completed, one must also understand the economic value of time and distance savings, linking residential areas with employment centers, attracting new corporations in the Region, infrastructure and community development, and other economic activities. The improvement in ease and speed of transportation of goods will lead to the increased economic vibrancy of the Region, leading to higher growth and prosperity. This is especially promising in the context of post-COVID era trends that brought historically large-scale geographic shifts in the workforce market.

SouthEast Connector Safety Benefits

Safety & Regional Security Benefits

The SouthEast Connector Expressway will improve safety by converting two-lane rural roads that were not designed to carry current day traffic volumes into a modern four-lane expressway, which is projected to reduce crash rates by nearly 40 percent. The Connector will also improve emergency response times for South Sacramento County and provide an alternate evacuation route during emergencies.

Reduces
crash rates

Improved
emergency routes

Joint Powers Authority Members

SouthEast ConnectorJPA Sacramento County
SouthEast Connector JPA El Dorado County
SouthEast Connector JPA City of Elk Grove
SouthEast Connector JPA Rancho Cordova

News

Widespread Support

The SouthEast Connector Expressway is widely supported by businesses, non-governmental organizations, public agencies, and local landowners, along with local, state, and federal elected officials representing communities served by the alignment.

Click below to read letters of support:

Awards

The award-winning SouthEast Connector Expressway was recognized most recently by the American Public Works Association Sacramento Chapter, which designated two projects – Kammerer Road and White Rock Road – as Projects of the Year.

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