Board adopts addendum and approves final phase of US‑50/Latrobe interchange improvements

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors voted 5‑0 on May 13 to adopt Addendum 4 to the 2003 environmental impact report and to approve the final phase of planned improvements at the US‑50/Latrobe Road and El Dorado Hills Boulevard interchange in El Dorado Hills.

The project covers the southeast quadrant of the interchange and completes the remaining eastbound on‑ and off‑ramp improvements originally described in the 2003 EIR. Transportation staff said the work will include reconstruction and widening of the eastbound loop off‑ramp and the eastbound diagonal on‑ramp, a new northbound travel lane on Latrobe Road north of Town Center Drive, ramp metering at Caltrans’s request, and added drainage and water‑quality measures.

“This is the remaining component to the phased interchange,” said Dustin Harrington, Department of Transportation staff, summarizing the scope and the project’s multi‑phase history. He said earlier phases were completed in 2006, 2012 and 2015, and the 2014 work built the westbound on‑ and off‑ramps.

The county’s presentation emphasized multimodal improvements: a 12‑foot shared‑use path for bicyclists and pedestrians on the east side of the interchange, a rectangular rapid‑flashing beacon (RRFB) at the eastbound off‑ramp for pedestrian crossings, and aesthetic treatments along the walk adjacent to the Marketplace at Town Center. Staff said the trail will tie into an existing Class I bike path to the north and sidewalks at the Town Center to the south.

“Bike and pedestrian improvements were one of the primary comments brought forward by local groups,” Harrington said, noting outreach to the El Dorado Hills APAC and subsequent adjustments negotiated with Caltrans.

Staff told supervisors the addendum identified only minor changes compared with the original EIR — primarily the addition of multimodal facilities, small geometric adjustments and lane count clarifications — and did not find new substantial environmental effects that would require a supplemental EIR. The county will complete NEPA revalidation in the fall and pursue right‑of‑way work, regulatory permits and final design with construction targeted to begin in 2027 and finish in 2028.

Supervisors asked questions about ramp geometry, pedestrian controls and stormwater handling. Justin, Department of Transportation staff, said the eastbound loop will remain a single lane to reduce weaving on Latrobe Road, that the diagonal on‑ramp intersection will be signalized and that the RRFB will operate as a flashing‑yellow warning device activated by a pedestrian push button. On stormwater, staff said they have performed geotechnical and percolation testing and plan to use a parcel behind the Nugget property for on‑site infiltration before any remaining runoff moves to Carson Creek.

The board voted to approve the recommendations and adopt the addendum; the motion passed 5‑0.