Sacramento’s Southeast Connector Expressway Receives $3 Million State Grant for Grant Line Road Improvements
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has awarded $3 million for safety improvements to Grant Line Road near where a fatal traffic accident occurred in February.
The cause of the one-car accident that killed its driver and injured two passengers is still under investigation. The car rolled over on a sweeping curve that has been the scene of several serious accidents over the years.
The Connector Joint Powers Authority will improve the road as part of the agency’s Southeast Expressway project. When construction is complete, it will connect the communities of Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Folsom, and El Dorado Hills.
“We need to get rid of that dangerous curve on Grant Line Road as soon as possible,” said Rancho Cordova resident Luis Mejia. “This road upgrade needs to be at the top of the priority list. Our community can’t afford to lose another life.”
Another Rancho Cordova resident, Nicholas Bergamini, said his wife survived an accident on the same stretch of Grant Line Road. “The sharp turn is the worst of it, but there are far more problems with the road than that,” Bergamini said. “There is a section just after the sharp turn heading towards Folsom that commonly floods, and potholes are very common. There is also little to no shoulder along the road in these sections.”
California’s Trade Corridor Enhancement Program will provide the money for the reconstruction and widening of 2.5 miles of Grant Line Road from Douglas Road to White Rock Road in Sacramento County and Rancho Cordova.
“The Southeast Connector Expressway has a straightforward need and purpose to provide an interregional route through Sacramento County for the area’s growing population. We are very appreciative of the commission’s support for our request, and we will quickly put it to good use,” said Derek Minnema, executive director of the Connector JPA.
The 34-mile Southeast Connector Expressway is designed to improve road safety and shorten travel times in a congested part of the Sacramento region’s transportation system that is prone to accidents and flooding. The 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 route.
More information on the project is available at https://www.southeastconnectorexpressway.com/, where those interested can sign up for occasional project updates, or on the project’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@southeastconnectorexpressway.
