Signs of a Million Dollars in Placer County

Placer County re-invests in road safety with key signage upgrades

Auburn, CA- The safety of Placer County roadways took a major step forward with the county Board of Supervisors voting to award a $1 million contract to Highway Specialty Company Inc. to upgrade signage throughout the county.

The Roadway Safety Sign Upgrade Project began in the spring of 2016 when the Department of Public Works completed a sign audit that included recommendations for the replacement, relocation and addition of yellow warning signage along roads throughout the county.

The project is needed to replace damaged signs and those that were installed before current reflectivity standards were set. It’s part of a larger effort to increase safety on roadways and reduce the likelihood of collisions.

Sign of the Times

A total of 62 roadways encompassing 175 miles in Placer County will see signage changes in the months to come. The project calls for 1,800 new signs, the removal of 1,320 signs, the relocation of 352 signs and the replacement of 1,113 signs.

On Nov. 6, 2018, the board approved plans and authorized solicitation of bids for the Roadway Safety Sign Upgrade Project. There were 56 firms that accessed the bid documents, and formal responses were received from three firms.

Highway Specialty Company Inc. was the lowest responsive and responsible bidder with a total bid of $1,057,390. The project is funded through a combination of Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program Funds (90 percent) and local road funds (10 percent).

Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin this spring and is anticipated to last until the end of summer.