[kamehameha]

Progress at Sacramento railyards: New passenger walkway opens Aug. 13
by Melissa Corker, published on August 2, 2012 at 12:08 PM
It’s been 10 years in the making, but phase one of construction at the downtown railyards is nearing completion and the first section to open to the public will be a new pathway to the train platforms.

City officials announced in a press release Wednesday that the “Pathway to Progress” – a 1.5 block-long walkway leading from the Sacramento Valley Station to new rail platforms – will open Aug. 13. Initially, it will be a wide stretch of asphalt, but when construction is complete, it will be a covered path for rail passengers to get to the new platforms.


The $225 million railyards project included moving the railway tracks about 500 feet north of their original position to improve rail operations and safety and to make room for future facilities for buses, trains and lightrail, according to the release. Those changes necessitated the new platforms and passenger walkways, the release stated.

The area will continue to be a construction zone until the first phase of construction is completed in mid-October, according to the city, when a community event to celebrate the occasion will be held.

The track relocation is the first stage in a three-phase project at the downtown railyards. The project also includes improvements at the Sacramento Valley Station and a multi-mode transportation facility. The work is part of a larger development project in the 240-acre railyard site that will eventually include housing units, retail and commercial space, and a proposed entertainment and sports complex.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @MelissaCorker.