New RT Bridge Cause for Celebration in Rosemont

The commuters driving through the Watt/Folsom Blvd intersection gave a collective sigh of relief on Monday morning. The Regional Transit light rail bridge is finally in use. The exasperatingly long wait at the intersection, especially during rush hour, will likely see a significant decrease. This specific intersection is one of the busiest in the greater Sacramento area and the construction of  the bridge has only made a long commute even longer. As of Monday morning, the light rail is permanently using the bridge over the intersection and drivers no longer have to worry about the blinking red lights and crossing arms that signal an impending train.

County project manager Ron Vicari acknowledged that construction at the intersection and the Watt/Manlove station has caused disruption to commuters and residents – but said it will be worth the wait. “It’s really important to get this (the bridge) completed. Now, the public gets to realize the benefits,” Vicari said. Chief among the benefits are improved traffic flow, increased efficiency of light-rail trains and a safer intersection, Vicari said. “Eighty thousand cars a day go through there. You can sit through a series of light changes,” he said.

From a safety standpoint, county transportation and Regional Transit officials said it’s always safer to separate modes of transportation such as cars and trains. Elevating the light-rail trains also avoids problems such as cars crashing into crossing arms or stalling in the middle of the tracks. The 529-foot-long light-rail bridge, officials said, is the first in a series of projects to improve safety and congestion in the corridor.

The remaining work on the bridge project  which  includes road and landscape improvements and some light-rail station modifications,  is scheduled to be completed this summer.

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• June 14, 2010 – Bus, Light Rail Schedule Changes to Go Into Effect Sunday
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• August 6, 2010 – Giant Construction Cranes Swoop into Rancho Cordova
• July 21, 2010 – Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association are Making Dream of Community Railroad a Reality
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Posted by Michelle Ventress on Feb 5 2009. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.