Watt Avenue @ US-50 Interchange Improvement Project

In December 2014, the Sacramento County Department of Transportation (SACDOT) completed the Watt Avenue @ US-50 Interchange Improvement Project. Project partners included: SACDOT, County CMID, Caltrans, O.C. Jones & Sons, Regional Transit, AECOM and Mark Thomas. This is one of the most congested interchanges in the region with over 100,000 vehicles per day. Watt Ave is a major north-south transportation corridor and provides one of only three unincorporated area crossings of the American River. With high traffic volume and limited river crossings, the interchange is a vital regional transportation asset. Prior to project completion, the interchange had an outdated design for vehicle movement including: roadway and ramp configurations that poorly handled traffic moving to and from the freeway by forcing vehicles to “weave” and merge — causing much congestion and risky traffic movements; insufficient through lanes on Watt Avenue; no HOV on-ramp bypass lanes; short off-ramps that resulted in traffic back-ups on the freeway. Also — as with most interchanges — it was difficult for bicycles and pedestrians to get from one end of the facility to the other. Today, the completed project provides benefits for all modes of travel including improved safety and reduced delay for motorists, and unique transit, bicycle and pedestrian features that set it apart from any other interchange in CA. SACDOT believes this project will prove to be a model for other jurisdictions when faced with the challenge of moving all transportation modes through an interchange. The project included these improvements: 1) The Watt Ave overcrossing at US-50 was widened to add two through lanes and two auxiliary lanes over the freeway; HOV lanes were added to the freeway on-ramps; freeway off-ramps were widened and realigned to terminate at Watt Ave at 2 signalized intersections. 2) A new dedicated transit lane on Watt Ave from north of the interchange to the existing Watt/Manlove Light Rail Station. 3) A continuous bicycle and pedestrian pathway separated from vehicular traffic along the east side of Watt Ave between La Riviera Dr. and Manlove Rd., with grade separated undercrossings at the freeway ramps. This facility was designed to provide a very open experience for users with a “feel” of riding though a parkway. 4) New decorative and energy efficient LED street lighting along Watt Ave, the freeway ramps and the bike/ped pathway. 5) 3,750-ft+ of new sound walls to improve livability of abutting neighborhoods. 6) 24 acres of new water-efficient landscaping, including over 370 new trees. 7) Installation of cameras to monitor all of the traffic signals through the corridor so that the flow of traffic can be better coordinated for maximum efficiency. Construction ($23 million) was funded by State Prop. 1B programs including the Corridor Mobility Improvement Account and the State-Local Partnership Program, and by the Sacramento County Measure A Sales Tax program.