Not only is the Highway 65 bypass project on track, it’s now well ahead of schedule.

On Feb. 13, the California Transportation Commission unanimously approved the final $200 million needed for the bypass, allowing construction to start one year earlier than expected.

The California Department of Transportation will build the 11-mile bypass, designed to route traffic around Lincoln starting at Industrial Avenue and linking back to Highway 65 near Sheridan.

“It’s hard to get the words right to describe the magnitude of this – it’s just amazing,” said Tom Cosgrove, a Lincoln councilman and Placer County Transportation Planning Agency board member.

Cosgrove said the project could go to bid in a few weeks.

Placer County, Caltrans and the city of Lincoln were able to make the $324 million project a reality through their joint effort, said Caltrans spokeswoman Rochelle Jenkins.

“When we deal with projects of this magnitude, there’s always a chance we won’t be able to come up with the dollars,” Jenkins said. “But we’ve all been very resilient about making this happen. It’s really a necessity for the

traveling public.”

Despite talk of a June groundbreaking, Caltrans is sticking to a more conservative estimate of early fall, Jenkins said. Work is expected to take approximately three years.

“Construction is an unusual animal – sometimes you come into hiccups along the way,” she said. “I’d rather err on the side of caution. If we start early, that’s just an added bonus.”

Regional and federal funds would have allowed work to begin in 2009. But by borrowing from Proposition 1B and using already secured funds to pay back the bond, the joint agencies locked in the earlier start date.

A process called design sequencing – in which phases are planned in advance – also sped up the process, Cosgrove said.

“People voted (for Proposition 1B) with the expectation that the projects would get built,” he said. “Some areas were not as prepared as we were, but CTC agreed to fund the bypass knowing our project could fulfill voters’ expectations.”

The bypass is tied closely with the general plan update Lincoln hopes to approve this year, paving the way for a population of as many as120,000.

As an added benefit, it could be a boon for the local economy.

“Think of three years of primary wage earner jobs located in Placer County, using our restaurants, frequenting local businesses and buying gas,” Cosgrove said. “Put it this way – this is a big construction project and the closest Home Depot is in our community. From an economic standpoint, the timing couldn’t be better.”

Then again, if the current downturn keeps up, work on the bypass might wrap up even sooner.

“It’s quite possible that with the amount of construction right now – less than in the past – there may be more resources available,” he said.

Though anxious to break ground, Cosgrove said he most anticipates another milestone.

“I’m looking forward to the step when we cut the ribbon and drive a car down that road,” he said.