State Route 46 East/Union Road Intersection Improvements

Project Description

Caltrans and the City of Paso Robles propose to construct, in two phases, an overcrossing and partial cloverleaf interchange at the intersection of State Route 46 East and Union Road/Paso Robles Boulevard from post miles 30.7 to 32.4 on State Route 46 East in the City of Paso Robles, in the County of San Luis Obispo.

Phase 1 of the project would convert a portion of State Route 46 from an at-grade intersection at Union Road/Paso Robles Boulevard into a new grade-separated overcrossing with an associated north-south extension of Union Road over State Route 46 (referred to as Union Road Overcrossing/Extension). North of State Route 46, Paso Robles Boulevard would be realigned to accommodate the proposed Union Road Overcrossing/Extension. The existing Union Road would be closed and removed, and a new connection with State Route 46 (referred to as Union Road Connector) would be constructed to intersect with the new Union Road west of the proposed Union Road Overcrossing/Extension.

Two roundabouts would be constructed at the following locations to connect the proposed north-south Union Road Overcrossing/Extension with local roadways and accommodate future roadway improvements:

•    1) North of State Route 46, a roundabout would be constructed at the eastern terminus of the proposed extension of Tractor Street to the northern terminus of the proposed Union Road Overcrossing/Extension.

•    2) South of State Route 46, a roundabout would be constructed within the central portion of the proposed Union Road realignment and the southern terminus of the proposed Union Road Overcrossing/Extension.

Additional State Route 46 improvements would include Huer Huero Creek Bridge widening and median improvements, including removing the existing State Route 46 median and building new medians on State Route 46 beneath the new Union Road Overcrossing/Extension and at the intersection of State Route 46 and Airport Road. State Route 46 access restrictions (right-turn in and right-turn out only) would occur at the existing Paso Robles Boulevard and Airport Road.

Phase 2 of the project would expand upon Phase 1 and would include the construction of a partial cloverleaf interchange with access ramps. The Union Road Overcrossing/Extension would be widened, as well as the roundabout approaches, from Union Road to the south and Tractor Street to the north. Both roundabouts would be restriped from one lane to two lanes. A collector-distributor, which would be constructed along State Route 46, would extend from east of the State Route 46 westbound exit to the State Route 46 and Union Road interchange through the west side of the southbound right-turn entrance from Golden Hill Road to westbound State Route 46 at the Golden Hill Road and State Route 46 intersection.

The Huer Huero Creek Bridge Overcrossing would be widened to accommodate the westbound collector-distributor. State Route 46 access restrictions would occur at the existing Union Road, Paso Robles Boulevard, Airport Road, and Golden Hill Road as the Union Road Connector; Paso Robles Boulevard and Airport Road would become a cul-de-sac. Additional State Route 46 improvements would include the construction of a new median at the intersection with Golden Hill Road, which would eliminate the existing signal control and restrict movement to allow eastbound and westbound right-turn-in and right-turn-out movements.

 

Project Benefits

Purpose

Improve access to, from, along, and across State Route 46 at/through the Union Road intersection.

•    Reduce delays and improve reliability and operations in the vicinity of the State Route 46 and Union Road intersection and State Route 46 and Airport Road intersection.

•    Improve accessibility and connectivity for bicycles and pedestrians across State Route 46.

Need

There is limited access and connectivity for all travel modes between the north and south sides of State Route 46. Traffic delays result in poor operations at the ‘at-grade’ stop-controlled State Route 46 and Union Road intersection and State Route 46 and Airport Road intersection. There is a lack of ‘Complete Streets’ connectivity across the State Route 46 corridor within the project area.

Estimated Funding Breakdown

This project is included in the 2021 Federal Statewide Transportation Improvement Program and is proposed for funding from a combination of local city funds, San Luis Obispo County funds, regional San Luis Obispo Council of Governments funds, and Caltrans. It is also included in the cost-constrained San Luis Obispo Council of Governments 2019 Regional Transportation Plan Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. Funding for the final design (Plans, Specifications, and Estimates phase) of the project is programmed through State Transportation Improvement Program funding. The final design is programmed for $1.55 million in the 2022 State Transportation Improvement Program. The City of Paso Robles has allocated $1.55 million to match the State Transportation Improvement Program funding for project design for a total of $3.1 million for the project’s Plans, Specifications, and Estimates stage.

Additional funding is needed to fully fund the project through the construction phase. Project funding is presently being pursued from federal and state funding sources, as well as the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments’ Regional Transportation Improvement Plan, the City of Paso Robles’ development impact fees, and local tax measures. This project has been determined to be eligible for federal-aid funding. The City of Paso Robles would likely use local development impact fees to fund the construction of Phase 1 of the project. The City of Paso Robles would seek other sources of funding for the construction of the ultimate phase of the project in the future.

Proposed Project Schedule

 

Project Contact

Paul Valadao, Project Manager
Phone: (916) 764-9123
Email: paul.valadao@dot.ca.gov

Matt Fowler, Senior Environmental Planner
Phone: (805) 779-0793
Email: matt.c.fowler@dot.ca.gov

Public Information Office, Caltrans District 5
Phone: (805) 549-3318
Email: info-d5@dot.ca.gov

Documents

Accessibility Assistance: Caltrans makes every attempt to ensure our documents are accessible. Due to variances between assistive technologies, there may be portions of this document which are not accessible. Where documents cannot be made accessible, we are committed to providing alternative access to the content. Should you need additional assistance, please contact us at (916) 654-2852 or visit https://dot.ca.gov/request-ada-compliant-documents.

• Initial Study with Mitigated Negative Declaration/Environmental Assessment (PDF)

Title VI Information

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) assures that no person shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and Federal Executive Order 12898 (Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations).

Caltrans will make every effort to ensure nondiscrimination in all of its programs and activities, whether they are federally funded or not, and that services and benefits are fairly distributed to all people, regardless of race, color, or national origin. In addition, Caltrans will facilitate meaningful participation in the transportation planning process in a nondiscriminatory manner.

• Title VI Brochure (English, PDF)
• Title VI Brochure (Spanish, PDF)
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Caltrans Information)