The telescopic boom of a heavy-duty commercial crane raised the gateway arch high into the sky across all four lanes of Auburn Boulevard before riggers then swung and then gently guided the arch into position between two concrete pilasters below. The arch was then firmly bolted into place. Photo courtesy of City of Citrus Heights/Psomas of Roseville

CITRUS HEIGHTS (MPG) - A major construction milestone in the city’s Auburn Boulevard Phase 2 project was achieved last week with the placement of a new steel gateway arch across Auburn Boulevard near the city’s border with the city of Roseville.

Auburn Boulevard was closed overnight June 23-24 between Whyte Avenue and Twin Oaks Avenue to prepare for its installation.

By Wednesday morning, motorists were busily traveling north and southbound to and from the city of Roseville from Citrus Heights along Auburn Boulevard under the new arch.

In a photo provided by the city of Citrus Heights, which was taken by the installing general contractor, Psomas of Roseville, the telescopic boom of a heavy-duty commercial crane is seen raising the gateway arch high into the sky across all four lanes of Auburn Boulevard before riggers then swung and then gently guided the arch into position between two concrete pilasters below. The arch was then firmly bolted into place.

Each of the reinforced concrete pilasters on either side of Auburn Boulevard are load-bearing architectural elements which carry the collective weight of the steel arch placed between it.

The new gateway includes the message, “Welcome to Citrus Heights,” and in the near future will feature Lincoln Highway placards, commemorating the original route of the historic Lincoln Highway down Auburn Boulevard to Sacramento.

The two gateway arch pilaster columns were poured last fall. Field measurements were taken before fabrication of the steel arch could begin.

The “Welcome to Citrus Heights” gateway arch design was completed by the city’s structural engineering design consultant and then finalized in February 2024.  

Stone veneer on each of the two gateway pilasters is next to be installed before this portion of the Auburn Boulevard Phase 2 project is fully completed. In early July, on the Citrus Heights side of the gateway arch, crews will activate a new traffic signal, city officials said.

A signalized traffic light is located 375 feet south of Whyte Avenue, at the driveway entrances to the Citrus Grove and Just Tea It commercial shopping plazas on each side of Auburn Boulevard.

Crews have also revamped the entrances to each plaza and added medians and several turn pockets along the boulevard to help increase overall safety for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers.

The fabrication of the arch itself, as well as the pilasters on either side of Auburn Boulevard were included in the original project bid for which the Citrus Heights City Council approved the estimated $28.9 million contract on May 9, 2024, according to the city.

The city’s overall contract for the larger Auburn Boulevard Phase 2 project is with George Reed Construction, Inc (GRI). However; the company subcontracted the building of the archway to R.A. Nemetz Construction Co., Inc., which was included in the city’s original contract scope and price.

The city estimated the project’s overall project cost for the completion of Auburn Boulevard Phase 2 was approximately $35 million, as reported in its Five-Year Capital Improvement Program report.

The Auburn Boulevard Phase 2 project aims to alter the boulevard’s orientation from a car-centric, fast-moving, four-lane arterial roadway to a pedestrian and bike-oriented corridor with new sidewalks, crosswalks and bike lanes, according to the city.

Construction has been taking place for about two years along Auburn Boulevard from just north of Antelope Road to the northern city limits. Paving and lane striping were recently finished. The city expects the project to be finished in late summer.

Most of the new traffic signals and streetlights are operational. Landscaping work in the medians from Rusch Community Park towards Whyte Avenue is continuing.

Completion of curb, gutter and sidewalk work on the east side of Auburn Boulevard and the installation of three updated traffic signals at Grand Oaks, Rollingwood and Twin Oaks are also finished.

Planned improvements in the second phase of the Auburn Boulevard Complete Street project included undergrounding of all overhead utilities, installation of bicycle lanes and wide sidewalks, upgrading traffic signals to meet current standards, increasing safety and visibility through decorative street lighting, beautifying the corridor with new landscaping and trees, replacing old storm drain infrastructure and enhancing transit stops for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, according to the city.

For more information about the Auburn Boulevard Complete Street Project Phase 2, visit citrusheights.net/1127/Auburn-Boulevard-Complete-Streets-Phase