SLO County is getting another roundabout. Here’s a look at the design
While driving to Avila Beach for surfing, sunbathing and other seaside adventures, summertime beach-goers often wait in traffic after exiting from Highway 101.
That’s why San Luis Obispo County is installing a roundabout at the intersection of Avila Beach Drive and Shell Beach Road.
According to San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department representative Aaron Yonker, the roundabout will improve the flow of traffic through the intersection and reduce congestion.
During peak travel times, including the summer and weekends, drivers entering the intersection from the southbound exit on Highway 101 wait in traffic for an average of 32 seconds, Yonker said, and traffic is only expected to increase during the next 20 years.
The roundabout will reduce traffic wait times to 14 seconds during peak travel times, with no delay during non-peak travel times, according to Yonker.
Construction will start early next year and last about 20 months, he said.
What is that in SLO County?
Ever wonder what that construction is in your town? Or what happened to that cool project that was proposed? We’re finding out the answers as part of a new series. Send us your questions and tips by emailing reporter Kaytlyn Leslie at kleslie@thetribunenews.com.
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What will the roundabout look like?
The roundabout includes bike lanes and crosswalks for pedestrians, the renderings show.
“Experienced cyclists will be able to navigate through the roundabout,” Yonker wrote in an email. “Less experienced and less confident cyclists will be able to bypass the roundabout by accessing designated crossings at the intersections and by accessing a road-separated multi-use path located adjacent to the roundabout.”
The Avila Valley Advisory Committee gave input on the project design, including the “concrete facade that will mimic natural rock outcroppings on the hillside to blend this project into the natural landscape,” Yonker wrote.
“Lush, native, drought-tolerant plant palettes will be installed within the central island of the roundabout and at select locations throughout the project to beautify the intersection,” Yonker wrote. “Most of these plant species were hand-selected to match the native species that are currently thriving on the adjacent hillside.”
Planting native, drought-tolerant plants means the Public Works Department can stop irrigating them after three years, he said.
The project also includes a Park-N-Ride facility, which includes 43 parking spots, a Regional Transit Authority bus connection and electrical conduits for future electrical vehicle charging stations.
The goal of the Park-N-Ride is to connect visitors with nearby hiking and biking tails including the Bob Jones Trail, the future trail head for the Ontario Ridge hiking trail and a “future bicycle network connecting the roundabout to the communities of Shell Beach and city of Pismo Beach,” Yonker wrote.
Project costs about $11.8 million
The Public Works Department completed the design phase of the project, and will embark on construction early next year.
Construction will cost about $11.8 million, funded partly by grants from Caltrans, the California Transportation Commission and the Federal Highway Administration, according to Yonker.
The county will know the true cost of construction when the bidding process ends and a contractor is selected, he said.
How will construction impact traffic?
During the majority of construction, the contractor will leave at least “a single lane of traffic open in all directions” for vehicles and cyclists, Yonker wrote.
For a short period of time toward the end of construction, the county will fully close the Avila Beach Drive and Shell Beach Road intersection while building the central roundabout island.
Meanwhile, the county expects traffic delays on San Luis Bay Drive during construction. Flagging crews will “direct traffic through San Luis Bay Drive and Ontario Road intersection,” Yonker said.
The county doesn’t expect impacts to traffic at the nearby Spyglass Drive off-ramp in Shell Beach, he said.
