Loomis improvements on Taylor Road to be completed early

A ribbon-cutting later this month will celebrate the completion of Taylor Road improvements that began in early June The project included overlay of Taylor Road from the 3200 block to Lemos Ranch Drive, addition of sidewalk on the west side of Taylor from Horseshoe Bar Road to Webb Street and from King Road to the 3500 block and extension of the bike trail about a half-mile from north of Del Oro High School to Lemos Ranch Drive. Phase three of the Downtown Master Plan cost $1.8 million and was contracted to Western Engineering and Asphalt in Loomis. The work came in on budget and about three weeks ahead of schedule, town of Loomis Public Works director Britton Snipes said. "I'm very happy with the way it turned out and excited to see people walking and using the bike trail," Snipes said. "It's a healthier alternative to driving everywhere." The road resurfacing was a much-needed fix, too. "The problem we were having was a lot of potholes on that section," he said. "People drive fast on that section. It was dangerous for (crews) to be out there filling potholes. It really needed to be overlaid so we weren't out there filling potholes all the time." This week's final touches included railing placement along the sidewalk and cleanup from Taylor Road to Horseshoe Bar and cleanup on Taylor Road from Del Oro High School to the town limit. "Western did such a great job," Snipes said. "They threw two crews at it and aggressively worked on it." Funding for the improvements came from RSTP (Regional Surface Transportation Program —gas tax), a federal CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) grant and state money from SB1 RMRA (Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account), according to previous Looms News reporting. The ribbon-cutting will be held at the multi-modal parking lot on Taylor Road, with the date still being decided, as of press time. "We'll have some elected officials to cut the ribbon," Snipes said. "There won't be a big ceremony because of COVID. Many of the council members will be there and some of the departments that help us out like SACOG (Sacramento Area Council of Governments) and PCTPA (Placer County Transportation Planning Agency). For Loomis Basin Chamber of Commerce executive director Jenny Knisley, the completed project is great for business. "The town of Loomis General Plan envisions a walkable, pedestrian-friendly downtown and the Taylor Road improvements continue to have positive impacts on our local economy and the community at large," Knisley said. "I am happy to see residents already using the new section of the bike/walking path to connect to our downtown businesses." There will be another phase of Downtown Master Plan street improvements but not in the near future. "We would be looking at (the area between) Taylor Road and the freeway on Horseshoe Bar," Snipes said. " It is several years in the future. We have to identify funding and scope the project."