Placer County plans to start Highway 65 expansion in spring 2027
Placer County plans to start Highway 65 expansion in spring 2027
A long-anticipated effort to reduce congestion on one of Placer County’s busiest highway corridors is moving forward, with construction slated to begin in spring 2027.
The Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA) has confirmed plans to widen a 1.4-mile stretch of southbound Highway 65 between Blue Oaks Boulevard and Galleria Boulevard, a critical expansion project that's been in development for more than a decade.
The first phase of the project will extend the third southbound lane, which currently ends between Blue Oaks and Pleasant Grove Boulevard, to meet the third lane that starts near Galleria Boulevard.
Additionally, a fourth southbound lane will be added between the Pleasant Grove Boulevard onramp and the Galleria Boulevard offramp, covering roughly 0.8 miles.
“Making improvements to relieve the congestion to this section of SR65 is the most common request I hear from the public,” said the agency’s Deputy Executive Director, Rick Carter. “Widening this section of SR65 has broad support from the community and local businesses.”
The overall construction cost is $28.1 million, primarily funded by a $22.48 million BUILD Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The remaining $5.62 million is coming from the South Placer Regional Transportation Authority's development impact fees, which are payments made by developers to offset the strain new construction places on regional infrastructure.
Currently, Highway 65 sees about 40,000 vehicles use the highway for commuting daily. During peak rush hour traffic, average speeds drop to around 15 mph, and traffic slows to below 30 mph for up to 10 hours per week.
As a result of the constant slowdowns, roughly 20% of drivers take local surface streets, which leads to additional congestion throughout South Placer County.
PCTPA expects the project to significantly improve traffic flow, estimating peak-hour speeds will increase to an average of 60 mph, with non-peak traffic becoming largely free-flowing.
With South Placer County’s population growing by approximately 1.5% annually, officials say the improvements are not only overdue but necessary to keep pace with rising commuter demand.
While this construction phase focuses mainly on the southbound lanes, PCTPA says it is part of a broader plan to improve both directions of Highway 65.
Future phases will include enhancements to the northbound side, and the addition of HOV and auxiliary lanes remains on the table but is currently unfunded. Construction is expected to finish in late 2028.
