With 570 lane miles and a growing population, maintaining the streets of Rocklin is a year-round responsibility, with major road construction projects taking place all around the city. Families returning to daily school and work commutes this fall will appreciate improved traffic flow and a smoother ride thanks to completed street projects.

Annual “Dig Outs”

Rocklin’s Public Services department annually identifies sections of failed roads in need of significant attention and conducts repairs termed “dig outs.” Workers endure the heat of the summer and fix the root of the problem by digging out the failed pavement, compacting the soil, and placing new asphalt.

“Weather and traffic pose the greatest threat to our roadway network and asphalt typically has a 20-30 year life span, which would be significantly reduced without the maintenance efforts,” said Jordan Pinkham, Engineer Technician. “However, the road is only as strong as its weakest link. Dig outs maintain the integrity of the road by fixing an area when needed, but not using taxpayer money or time in repaving the entire length of the street when it’s still functional.”

Sunset Blvd., one of Rocklin’s most traveled streets, received much of the dig out work. Other streets that were repaired include:

• Blue Oaks Blvd.
• West Oaks Blvd.
• Lonetree Blvd.
• Park Drive

The digouts were funded through the Regional Surface Transportation Block Grant Program from the Federal Highway Administration. Cities receive federal funds based on population and lane miles every two years.

“This year, the construction bids came in under estimated costs, and the City was able to stretch our $1.7 million in federal funds to accomplish additional repairs and extend the life of the pavement,” said Keith Jukes, Associate Civil Engineer.

SB 1 or “Gas Tax” Projects

SB-1 (also known as the “Gas Tax”) also provides funds for street projects around the City, including storm drain maintenance, crack filling, and resurfacing neighborhood roads. SB-1 dollars partially funded one of the most anticipated projects of the season at Sunset Blvd. and 3^rd St. This project removed the inconvenient valley gutter and doubled the left turn lane capacity at the busy intersection.

SB-1 funds will also be used to maintain Rocklin roads in the future. The City is working to finalize its Pavement Management Plan, which includes a Pavement Condition Index survey that is scheduled to be conducted in 2020. The survey will electronically map the conditions of streets using a mobile laser scanner, which will help city staff prioritize and deliver projects.

Report Road Issues to “Access Rocklin”

Next year’s paving and resurfacing projects are already being planned. While that work is being done, residents are encouraged to continue submitting requests for pothole fixes using Access Rocklin, or by calling Public Services at (916) 625-5500.