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Q&A: What’s happening with the roadwork on Sunrise Blvd?

Citrus Heights, road work, sunrise blvd
A sign announces road work on Sunrise Boulevard in Citrus Heights, through Oct. 30, 2018.

Sentinel staff report–
Wondering what’s going on with the roadwork on Sunrise Boulevard and signs indicating construction activity through October?

Citrus Heights General Services Operations Manager Regina Cave told The Sentinel on Thursday that the project is part of the Sunrise Boulevard Complete Streets project, which is proceeding with a $1.7 million phase of improvements along a half-mile section of the west side of Sunrise Boulevard, from Locher Drive to Sayonara Drive.

“The current work on Sunrise Boulevard will construct storm water improvements, new sidewalk, curb/gutters, ADA ramps, street lights, transit enhancements, road resurfacing, bike lanes, pavement striping and traffic signal upgrades at Sayonara,” Cave said in an email. Fiber upgrades will also be installed to provide “enhanced communication and coordination of the traffic signal system along Sunrise,” and traffic lanes will be re-striped and narrowed to accommodate the new bike lane.

Temporary electronic construction signs on the street advise drivers to consider alternate routes during construction. Cave said drivers should anticipate traffic to be affected on Sunrise Boulevard, likely happening more so early on during storm drain work, “as the contractor will need to cross both lanes of Sunrise to connect to existing storm pipe.”

According to an April 27 news release from the city, the storm drain installation will typically limit southbound lanes down to one lane of traffic during weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Northbound traffic will also be reduced to one lane “for several days” during the installation of the storm drain.

Although temporary signs along Sunrise Boulevard indicate work is scheduled to continue through Oct. 30, varying completion dates have been estimated by the city. Cave said most work should be completed by the end of August, but said an Oct. 1 estimate for completion was given to allow for “punch list items” needing corrections that typically come up at the end of a project. The city’s news release estimates a September completion date.

The latest phase of improvements on Sunrise Boulevard were approved by the city council in February, who awarded the $1.76 million contract to All American Construction, Inc. Of seven bids received, the highest bid was over $2.5 million, according to a Feb. 22 city council staff report.

Why isn’t the work being done at night?
While most of the construction is scheduled to occur during daytime hours, Cave said there may be times where night work “might be prudent,” noting road resurfacing due to higher traffic during the day. Cave previously told The Sentinel that while night construction is appropriate for commercial areas, “it becomes a quality of life issue due to noise” when the work is being done near residential areas.

Related: why isn’t more Citrus Heights roadwork done at night?

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