Excellent, start building.
Transportation projects funded
Carpool lanes, rural road in capital area will get bond money.
By Tony Bizjak - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, March 1, 2007
California's large urban areas, including Sacramento, won big Wednesday in statewide competition for the first wave of transportation bond money.
Convening in Irvine under an intense political spotlight, California Transportation Commission members spread $4.5 billion in voter-approved "corridor mobility" funds among some 50 projects -- what state officials called the largest outlay of transportation money in years.
Much of it went to new carpool lanes on freeways in Los Angeles, San Diego, the Bay Area and Sacramento.
A surprise addition was $22 million to widen and straighten a small but key rural road in eastern Sacramento County -- White Rock Road between Sunrise Boulevard and Prairie City Road.
CTC Executive Director John Barna said the White Rock Road project won last-minute funding after Sacramento officials made a persuasive pitch that the road will take cars off congested Highway 50.
Widening of White Rock Road to four lanes, will begin by 2011, said county transportation head Tom Zlotkowski. It could become the first section of the region's long-discussed beltway from Elk Grove to El Dorado Hills.
