NORTH HIGHLANDS – Motorists and commuters who have spent the last year navigating lane shifts, detours, and orange cones on Watt Avenue are finally seeing relief. A major renovation of the busy corridor is moving into its final stages, marking the conclusion of Sacramento County’s “Complete Streets” roadway rebuild and the ongoing overhaul of the Watt/I-80 transit center.
Local officials gathered in North Highlands on Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the resurfacing of a three-quarter-mile stretch of Watt Avenue between Interstate 80 and Roseville Road. This section of roadway had previously suffered from some of the worst pavement conditions in the unincorporated areas of Sacramento County.
The “Complete Streets” Overhaul
The project, which came with a price tag of more than $20 million, was designed to transform the corridor into a “Complete Street”—a planning term for roadways designed to accommodate all users, including drivers, transit riders, cyclists, and pedestrians.
The Sacramento County Department of Transportation widened the six-to-eight-lane section of Watt Avenue to accommodate several new features:
- Buffered Bicycle Lanes: New unprotected bike lanes are marked by paint. For approximately half of the stretch, a painted buffer separates cyclists from vehicle traffic.
- Pedestrian Safety: Sidewalks were improved, and landscaped buffers were added. To discourage dangerous mid-block crossings, metal barriers were installed on the medians.
- Infrastructure: Three signalized intersections were updated with modern traffic lights, and new street lighting was installed.
According to county officials, construction costs amounted to approximately $14 million. The remainder of the budget largely went toward acquiring the right-of-way property adjacent to the road to expand its footprint. Funding was provided by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), along with state and federal agencies.
Transit Center Improvements Continue
While the road surface is complete, work continues on the adjacent Watt/I-80 Transit Center Improvement Project. This separate $26 million effort by the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) broke ground in July 2024 and is expected to continue through mid-2026.
The transit project involves:
- Widening the Watt Avenue bridge.
- Adding an open-air stairwell to the transit center.
- Rebuilding the upper-level bus and pedestrian plaza.
- Upgrading the I-80 on-ramps and the under-bridge area.
Southbound lanes and a new west-side stairway reopened in mid-December. Crews have since shifted their focus to the northbound side, requiring some bus stops to move temporarily to nearby Longview Drive.
What’s Next for Commuters
Sacramento County officials view this project as a step toward addressing a massive maintenance backlog on local roadways. The improvements are intended to calm traffic and support economic development along the corridor.
Rio Linda Online hopes for, and will continue to advocate for the Rio Linda Downtown Special Planning Area improvements to the M Street historical commercial corridor. This ordinance, which sets standards for building design, streetscapes, and signage along the M Street corridor between 2nd Street and Curved Bridge Road, was adopted by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on November 17, 2015– Over eleven years ago.
Traffic Alert: SacRT urges drivers and riders to plan extra time, follow posted signage, and monitor agency updates as crews complete the final phases of the transit center work.
Project Contact: For construction updates or rider detours regarding the transit center, residents can contact the project hotline at 916-566-5221 or email WattI80Project@sacrt.com.
