American Canyon Roundabout construction to begin Monday in Auburn

Caltrans is scheduled to start construction Monday on a safety improvement project, which includes a roundabout, at the Lincoln Way/Borland Avenue intersection. Construction crews, beginning in the evening hours, will work on a $9.9 million roadway project that will improve a quarter-mile segment of SR-49 near Lincoln Way and Borland Avenue in Auburn. The project will align two reversing curves to improve sight distance and safety by reducing the sharpness of each curve. The work will include replacing the Lincoln Way/Borland Avenue intersection with a traffic circle. This portion of SR-49 is the gateway to the American River Canyon and numerous recreational activities in Auburn and Placer County. "These improvements are designed to reduce the number and severity of collisions from motorists and large trucks failing to navigate the sharp curves," said Caltrans District 3 Director Amarjeet S. Benipal. "This project will make it safer for the 10,000 vehicles and 450 commercial trucks that navigate this segment of highway daily." Auburn City Manager John Donlevy highlighted the project's safety features. "The existing traffic signal no longer meets the operational needs of residents and area visitors," Donlevy said. "The improvements at this location with the new roundabout will increase safety for our residents and visitors by addressing the increases in traffic queues and blind curves leading to a busy intersection. This project will keep traffic moving, reduce incidents and make the visit into the American River Canyon safer." Lamon Construction Co., Inc. of Yuba City is the prime contractor, with completion anticipated in fall 2023. Motorists should expect overnight one-way traffic control between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday through Friday during construction. According to Caltrans, occasional Saturday work may be required. The schedule is subject to change based on weather, equipment or material availability or other unexpected events. This is the second of three Auburn-area projects that aim to improve the SR-49 corridor in Placer County. In spring 2022, Caltrans completed a $47.4 million roadway improvement and complete streets project between the Interstate 80 separation and Dry Creek Road that widened shoulders, added sidewalks and new traffic signals and rehabilitated the roadway. A $26.7 million safety project is in development to add a median concrete barrier on SR-49 between Lorenson Road and Lone Star Road in North Auburn, with roundabouts providing operational improvements at the two intersections. "These projects are critical for the continued safety of Placer County residents and visitors," said Placer County District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. "We are pleased to see that our roads and infrastructure are being updated to current standards, especially in some of our more rural areas." For more information on this specific project, visit dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-3 and search for American Canyon Roundabout Project.