(From Press Release) – The City of Davis announced today that it has received an additional $2.7 million in grant money for the I-80/Richards Interchange Improvement project from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG). On August 15, the SACOG board unanimously approved the grant as part of the 2019 SACOG four-county, regional funding round transportation projects and programs. This grant follows a 2018 grant from SACOG for $5 million for the I-80/Richards project bringing the total project grant money to $7.7 million.
“This new grant money, along with the initial grant, will advance critical transportation infrastructure improvements and sustainability goals, while improving traffic flow on a newly-designed Richards 
Boulevard interchange. With the project now funded, final plans are nearing completion (in partnership with Caltrans) and will soon be ready to go out to bid to secure a contractor and then begin construction,” said Councilmember Lucas Frerichs, who also serves as Vice-Chair of the SACOG Board of Directors.
The I-80/Richards Project features are:
- Adding a grade separated Class I pathway under the westbound I-80 onramp to improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety between Research Park Drive in South Davis to First Street in Downtown Davis
- Reconfiguring the Richards Boulevard westbound I-80 ramps from a cloverleaf to a tight diamond to create additional intersection spacing with Olive Drive
- Signalizing the Richards Boulevard exit from westbound I-80 to improve the flow of vehicles merging with vehicles already queued on Richards Boulevard at the Olive Drive intersection
- Closing the Olive Drive exit from westbound I-80 to prevent vehicles from using the exit as a thoroughfare to improve safety in the Olive Drive neighborhood
A project timeline and communications plan is in development.
