Wood Rodgers is currently preparing PS&E (Plans, Specifications, and Estimates) for a quarter-mile extension of Riverfront Street, and widening of 5th Street from two lanes to its ultimate four lane width between 15th Street and Mill Street for the City of West Sacramento. Services include supplemental environmental documentation, geotechnical analysis, permitting and right-of-way services, and preparation of Plans, Specifications and Estimates for sewer, water, storm drainage, and roadway improvements. The Riverfront Street extension will serve future development along Riverfront Street, and the proposed Downtown Riverfront Streetcar maintenance facility. Wood Rodgers is working directly with the City and the Streetcar team to incorporate the streetcar track and associated facilities into the Riverfront Street design. Fifth Street will incorporate a 13-foot wide cycletrack that will connect a planned City bikeway project on 15th Street to the existing River Walk Trail at Mill Street, closing an access gap for pedestrians and bicycles under Highway 50. Traffic signals will be upgraded to include bicycle only signal heads and phasing. Lighting analysis was performed and pedestrian lighting was added. Because the project is located partially within Caltrans right of way and intersects two Highway 50 ramp intersections, Wood Rodgers is coordinating the project with Caltrans to insure that proposed improvements meet Caltrans requirements and to streamline the encroachment permit process.
Some of the project highlights include:
- Sidewalks
- Cycletrack
- Buffered Bike Lanes
- Complete Street Design & Concepts
- Bicycle Signals and Lighting
Mr. Robinson is the Project Engineer for this $5 million project to extend Riverfront Street in the Bridge District area of West Sacramento, and widen Fifth Street. Both Riverfront Street and Fifth Street extend beneath US 50, requiring new Caltrans easements and coordination. The project also requires reconstructing the eastbound US 50 on-ramp at Fifth Street due to grade changes along Fifth Street, and makes signal and safety improvements at the westbound US 50 off-ramp. To complete a bicycle connection between the existing bike lanes on 15th Street and the River Walk Trail, the project will construct a Class 4 Cycle Track along Fifth Street, and new curb, gutter, and sidewalk for pedestrians. The project also is installing sewer, water, storm drain, gas, and electric infrastructure for future development along Riverfront Street. Because of the close proximity to the Sacramento River, an innovative infiltration drainage system was designed to allow runoff to infiltrate under the roadway prior to entering the storm drain system.
We asked him a few questions and this is what he had to say!
Steven Robinson – Project Engineer
What has been your favorite part of the project?
“We needed to develop a unique and innovative on site drainage infiltration system on Riverfront Street to minimize runoff into the existing overcapacity drainage system. The Geotechnical report revealed poor soils for infiltration that were a result of the site’s past use as a rice hulling facility, so we worked with our Water department and the Geotech to develop a design that will over excavate 6 feet of the bad soil and will import good soil for the infiltration.”
What are some of the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?
“We had to raise the profile of 5th Street by 3 feet in order to provide minimum clearance over the existing Pioneer Bridge foundation. This created new drainage flow patterns that required a new drainage system. We also had to design a custom concrete barrier to protect the Pioneer Bridge columns due to the road widening coming within 2 feet of the column. We were only allowed a 1 week closure of the on-ramp during all of construction, so we had to develop staging strategies that would allow all of the ramp work to occur in during the closure while keeping 5th Street open.
The project also includes new joint trenches along both 5th Street and Riverfront Street. Along both streets, it was difficult to fit the joint trenches due to the other existing and proposed underground utilities, and we had to work with the utility providers for approval to deviate from their standard installation policies to fit the joint trenches within the road footprint.”
Can you talk a little bit about how our various departments have come together to work on this project?
“This was truly a group effort. Our Sacramento Transportation department developed the roadway design, our Sacramento Water department designed the innovative storm drain infiltration system, our Sacramento and Roseville Civil group prepared design for new water and sewer facilities, our Survey department performed the field survey and right of way support, our Sacramento Landscape Architects prepared the planting and irrigation plans, and our Structures department designed two retaining walls.”
