The City of Sacramento recently broke ground on the Del Rio Trail, a multi-use 4.8-mile trail that will serve as a recreational amenity in the city.
The trail will allow people to access William Land Park, the Sacramento Zoo, schools, stores, restaurants, retail centers, jobs and other community parks without using a car.
Construction is expected to being in early Dec. Planning and public outreach for the trail began in 2017.
“This project has been led and driven by the community since its initiation,” said Adam Randolph, project manager and senior engineer with the City’s Department of Public Works. “Public Works is excited to reach this milestone and be one step closer to improving pedestrian and bicycle access to residents in south Sacramento.”
The $23 million project includes $5 million in funding from Governor Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative, a sweeping, $1.2 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to remove trash, create thousands of jobs and join with communities throughout the state to reclaim, transform and beautify public spaces.
Public Works staff were joined by Caltrans District 3 Deputy Director Greg Wong, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Councilmembers Jay Schenirer and Rick Jennings, along with representatives from the South Land Park Neighborhood Association Thursday for a groundbreaking event.
“The Del Rio Trail will be an ideal public amenity when finished. It will connect neighborhoods, provide space for art, and create more opportunities for active transportation,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “Thank you to Governor Newsom and Caltrans for making these types of a projects a priority.”
The construction contract was approved by City Council earlier this week and awarded to Dewberry Engineers, Inc and Mountain Methods, Inc. Construction is expected to officially begin in December and is anticipated to last 18 months.
In addition to the Clean California grant, funding for the project was secured through the federal Active Transportation Program, Sacramento Area Council of Governments, and matching local transportation funds.
The initial construction phase will include tree removals. The City is partnering with the Sacramento Tree Foundation to replace two trees for every tree removed.
The Tree Foundation will plant these trees after trail construction is complete and maintain the new trees for the next two years.
The City’s Office of Arts & Culture is currently accepting applications for two phases of public art projects along the trail. Phase one is open to all disciplines (e.g., music, poetry, dance, theater, visual arts, folk art, etc.) for artists who live in Sacramento County. Phase two is open to artists nationally to create permanent sculptures. Applications must be submitted by Nov. 21 on the City’s website here.