A rendering by Placer County shows how the Placer Parkway project will impact the region. Photo courtesy of Placer County

AUBURN, CA (MPG) - The Placer County Board of Supervisors recently approved plans and specifications for the long-anticipated Placer Parkway project, a new regional expressway in West Placer designed to reduce congestion and improve connections to key destinations across the region.

Phase I of the project, managed by the Placer County Department of Public Works, carries an estimated construction cost of $106 million and will soon be advertised for construction bids and start of construction in the spring or summer of 2026.

Placer Parkway has been a decades-long regional transportation priority, envisioned to serve some of the fastest-growing communities in Placer County while easing traffic on state Route 65, Interstate 80 and local roadways. 

When fully built, the approximately 15-mile limited-access expressway will connect SR-65 in West Placer to state routes 70/99 in south Sutter County, improving access to the I-5 corridor, downtown Sacramento and Sacramento International Airport.

“Placer Parkway is a truly transformational project for our region – after years of vision and hard work, it is phenomenal that construction will begin on Phase One,” said Board Chair and District 1 Supervisor Bonnie Gore. “Connecting Highways 65 and 99 will ease traffic and fuel long-term economic growth in west Placer County, especially in the Sunset Area.”

Phase I begins at the Whitney Ranch Parkway/SR-65 interchange in Rocklin and will extend to North Foothills Boulevard.

Key improvements include upgrading the SR-65 interchange at Whitney Ranch Parkway with new ramps and a six-lane bridge over SR-65, a four-lane roadway extension from SR-65 to North Foothills Boulevard and a grade-separated crossing over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.

In partnership with the Placer County Water Agency, Phase I will also incorporate a new water line to support future development in West Placer. Placer County Water Agency will reimburse the county for the cost of construction and administration.

The county has completed all necessary design work, right-of-way acquisitions and permitting to move the project forward. Environmental review is consistent with prior approvals, including the 2015 Mitigated Negative Declaration for Placer Parkway Phase I and the 2019 Sunset Area Plan/Placer Ranch Specific Plan Environmental Impact Report.

The total project cost is estimated at $160 million -- $106 million for construction and $56 million for costs related to project development, engineering, environmental review and project management. 

Funding will come through a combination of the South Placer Regional Transportation Authority’s Tier 2 development fees, contributions from the United Auburn Indian Community and Placer County Water Agency infrastructure funds. County staff are preparing a financing plan to cover upfront costs before reimbursement through future development fees.

Construction of Phase I is expected to be a multi-year effort once a construction bid is awarded.