The Grant Line and Sunrise intersection at the heart of this renovation. Photo by Khushi Salgia 

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - One of Sacramento region’s most critical and most dangerous thoroughfares is officially moving into its next phase of its transformation. The Grant Line Road Reconstruction Project, a cornerstone of the 34-mile Capital SouthEast Connector, has received $25 million through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program, accelerating a modernization effort that aims to turn a rural two-lane road into a state-of-the-art expressway. 

This project focuses on connecting Sacramento’s four major highways—Interstate 5 (I-5), Hwy 99 (State Route 99), the Jackson Highway (State Route 16), and Hwy 50 (U.S. Highway 50) in the segment between White Rock Road and Douglas Boulevard—and is expected to be completed by 2035. The primary objective is to connect the cities of Elk Grove, Folsom, Sacramento and El Dorado.  

“It was envisioned in the 1970s, put on highway plan in the ‘80s and voters approved it in 2004,” Executive Director Derek Minnema said. 

This 34-mile road is divided into three corridors: Kammerer (6 miles), Grant Line (19 miles), and White Rock (9 miles), and will cost a total of $265 million. The Grant Line Expansion, specifically, will cost $55 million, though the RAISE grant covers almost half the cost. 

This renovation is especially crucial because Grant Line Road is officially classified as a High-Injury Network (HIN) corridor, meaning it belongs to the small percentage of roads (roughly 3-10%) where majority of fatal accidents occur. According to a news release from U.S. Representative Ami Bera’s office, there were 125 collisions on Grant Line Road from 2016 to 2020. The same news releases states that this renovation could reduce crash rates by 40%. 

To make this road safer, the cities of Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova as well as Sacramento County are working together to implement changes that intend to reduce collisions and congestion. One of these steps, which has already been completed, was building roundabouts in the rural Sheldon Area community between Bond Road and Calvine Road. 

“The City [of Elk Grove] prepared the Grant Line Road Precise Roadway Plan Study in 2022 to determine the needed roadway geometry along Segment C of the Capital Southeast Corridor between Bond Road and Calvine Road. The study identified the ultimate roadway design, including intersection geometry (roundabouts over signalized intersections), additional travel lanes, turn lane configurations, a raised median and a Class I multi-use trail,” the City of Elk Grove said in an email statement. 

Currently in the works is the project of expanding Grant Line from a two-way road into a four-way road in the Rancho Cordova area, with the intention of improving safety. According to the Southeast Connector Project Status Report, the road is ill-equipped to handle the city’s growing population, which grew 1.7 percent from 2020 to 2021. This makes it the highest growth rate of any city in Sacramento County, according to the City of Rancho Cordova. The population (which is approximately 85,000) is projected to reach 120,000 in 2036. Doubling the lanes would not only lower the number of collisions, but it would also improve the response time from first responders if a collision were to happen. 

The renovation will also expand the shoulders, which are currently too narrow for a vehicle to pull over into without impinging on the road itself. In order to go around the pulled over vehicle, a driver would have to veer over into the opposing lane. Additionally, the Capital Southeast Connector will feature more bicycle and pedestrian walkways, which in addition to improving safety, also encourages non-motorized travel, thus helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  

Construction is expected to hit its stride as the weather clears, with city officials and the JPA aiming for a completion date that keeps pace with the rapid housing growth in the Sunrise Boulevard and Grant Line corridors. For the residents of Rancho Cordova, the $25 million investment represents more than just asphalt; it’s a commitment to a safer, more connected commute that finally matches the scale of the community’s growth.