A half-mile stretch of Marysville Boulevard will soon look and move differently as the City of Sacramento begins construction on a quick-build safety project aimed at improving safety and reducing serious crashes along the corridor.

The Sacramento City Council this week approved Phase 1 of the Marysville Boulevard Vision Zero Quick Build project, which will bring new safety features to the corridor between Los Robles Boulevard and Harris Avenue — an area identified as one of the city corridors with the highest rate of serious injuries and traffic fatalities.

“Marysville Boulevard has a long history in Sacramento and is a vital transportation link in the community as well as the region,” said Judy Matsui-Drury, supervising engineer at the City’s Department of Public Works. “Transformative transportation projects are very complex and can take many years to build.  While the City continues to secure funding and work through the engineering needed to construct the safety improvements along the entire corridor, a smaller Phase 1 segment was identified as an opportunity to implement safety benefits sooner.”

The approved changes include reducing Marysville Boulevard from four travel lanes to two, a redesign known as a “road diet” that research shows can slow traffic and reduce collisions.

The project will also add protected and buffered bike lanes, high-visibility crosswalks at Roanoke and Grand avenues, and upgrades to traffic signals to make intersections safer for people walking and biking.

City staff said the improvements are designed to calm traffic speeds while making it easier and safer for residents to travel without a car. Limited on-street parking will be added where feasible, and the roadway will receive fresh striping and pavement treatment.

The quick-build project is part of Sacramento’s Vision Zero effort, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. Rather than waiting for a full corridor rebuild, the City is using interim materials like striping, signage and protective barriers to deliver safety benefits sooner in high-injury areas.

Construction is expected to take about five weeks once work begins. The total project cost is approximately $1.4 million and will be funded through existing transportation and road maintenance funds.

City officials said Phase 1 is an early step toward long-term improvements along the entire Marysville Boulevard corridor.