Sacramento Bee
The second phase of the Two Rivers Trail project is expected to create a 2.4-mile mixed-use path on the south side of the river to connect Sutter’s Landing Park near the Capital City Freeway and H Street . It’s part of a decadeslong effort by the city to build a 7-mile path from the Guy West Bridge at Sacramento State to the Parkway.
“It’s providing access for the community, it’s allowing users to be able to access the section of river they haven’t previously been able to,” said project manager Adam Randolph . “It’s creating connectivity for multiple trails in our trail network.”
The first portion of the trail opened in 2006 with an additional span built in 2018 near the skate park at Sutter’s Landing.
This leg of the project is expected to cost roughly $7 million , Randolph said. The full project is designed to provide a walking trail between the River Park neighborhood and downtown Sacramento . The third phase of the project, to be completed later, would connect Sutter’s Landing Park to the American River Bike Trail to the east and the Two Rivers Bike Trail just north of Richards Boulevard .
According to Randolph, clearing for construction of the path started during the winter and includes cutting down trees and removing elderberry plants.
“The first work they’re doing is referred to as ‘clearing and grubbing,’” Randolph said. “Which is basically just removing all of the organic materials from the direct area that the trail will be on.”
The process is expected to last through the rest of this month before grading begins, which would bring in soil. Paving the 8-foot asphalt path with shoulders is expected to take place this summer.
But the project won’t be completed until three other projects along the river’s path are finished.
The Army Corps of Engineers’ River Bank Protection Project is a long-term project designed to mitigate the American River’s flood risk. Earlier this year, some residents in the area said they were worried about the long-term effects of the Corps’ project on vegetation in the area, especially near an area frequently used for boat launches.
There’s also Caltrans’ Cap City Corridor Project to widen the freeway over the American River , which will create an additional mixed-use path spanning north to Cal Expo. Randolph also said there’s a city utilities pump station project in the area.
“And I bring that up specifically because those projects book-end ours,” Randolph said. “About 90% of the trails I’m referring to will be done early this summer, but we have to wait for those other projects to complete so they can restore the levee and get construction traffic off of it before we can finish out our paving.
“Our goal is to get all of that paving finished, and for all of the projects on the south bank of the river to be completed by the end of this year.”
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